brooder help

[animallover2202]

i want to cut down on some eletricity what can i put in the brooder for my 5 baby chickens to stay warm instead of a heat light (do not have one useing a light and heater for them)

ps the brooder is a medium sized dog cage with landscaping tarp all over it and on the inside it has cardboard (to keep chickens in and to keep heat in) and corn cob bedding with a lamp and a squiggly bulb and the heater is on the out side i have a thermoiter in there (it stays between 75-84 degress F)

so what can i use to keep to them warm besinds a heat light?

 

[SDHeritage]

For 5 chicks you should be able to just have a 75w light bulb in there for warmth. Also if they are fine with it being 75-84 degrees you should set it at 80 and then drop temp 5 degrees per week until they are at night time temps. If you are unsure of heat just watch them if its too cold they will huddle under the heat otherwise they should move about your area and come to the heat when needed.

 

[animallover2202]

ok they look like they do there only a few days old so im watching them very carefully my cat and dog seem to be looking after them too lol

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

If all you are using for heat is a heater on the outside of the brooder and a lamp with a "squiggly bulb" in it, I believe I have a suggestion:

Replace the "squiggly" bulb with an old fashioned light bulb marked on the end with how many watts it is. ("Squiggly" bulbs are fluorescent and do not produce heat.) If the room temperature is quite warm I would suggest a 75 watt bulb.

If your chicks are huddling under the light and cheeping, they are cold. Use a higher watt bulb.

If they are as far away from the light as they can be, they are hot. Use a lower watt bulb.

If they are running around the brooder eating and drinking, they are just right!

You can also just raise the lamp to cool the temperature at the chick's level, but why use more electricity than you have to?
And it is hard to more a lamp if you have a brooder with a top.

You also said you have the brooder wrapped in landscaping tarp? If you don't have a heat source in the brooder you may be keeping the heat in the room from getting to them.

I would suggest you keep the brooder wrapped and put a heat source inside with the chicks. Stay away from the huge "heat" bulbs that are 125w and 250w at first. Start lower and work your way up.

Secure your lamp to the cage in at least two places to make sure it doesn't fall.

I would be happy to send you (or a parent) my phone number if you need any help. I am a 4-H mom and leader with a lot of chicken years behind me. I have raised hundreds of birds and I hate wasting money on electricity if I don't have to.

 

[animallover2202]

Pm me you number my dad said it was ok

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Done