Brooder Lamp

[kqsnider]

My chicks are going to be arriving any time now. Just trying to make sure everything is so-so. Question:

Do you leave your brooder lamp on all night long? They will be living in my kitchen/laundry room area. I'm having enough problems trying to get the temp right but if I turn it off, it will be about 70 overnight. Is that cold?

Thanks.

 

[Chieftain]

I have my Black Jersey Giants in a pen, and the 40 watt brooder lamp is over a box of sand, and I do leave it on all day. The sand stays warm and they like to dustbathe and just hang out in it. They are 4 weeks old and well feathered, so they really don't need the lamp heat any more. Later this week I plan to turn it off to start hardening them in preparation for moving out to the coop the following week.

 

[rnrterp]

Quote:
Yes, the lamp needs to be on 24/7 to begin with. 70 is too cold for new born chicks. The minimum should be 90 to 95, to begin, then lower by 5 degrees each week.

 

[AN]

I understand lower temp 5 deg each week until they are how old???? Or is that just until they get ALL their feathers?

 

[goldnchocolate]

You will need to leave it on....it's how they stay warm. The first week it needs to be 90 degrees F down at the level that the chicks are at. Each week you will lower it by 5 degrees. I don't use a white light and the red one isn't too bright at night when all of the other lights are off. If you go to Home Depot look for a Landscaping red 100 wt bulb.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

The problem is the 250watt bulb is harder to control the temp when using it indoors. I had to hang mine from a ceiling fan to get the temp down to 90-95 degrees. I agree with goldnchocolate a 100watt bulb would work much better indoors.