Brooder Light Wattage???

[only4cake]

i see a lot of home-made brooders are using heat lamps and i was just wondering what the proper wattage is?

 

[ChickenToes]

I'm a bit leery of heat lamps, it they get knocked over they can set the shavings on fire in the brooder. I use a work light, the kind with a clamp and metal shield that you can get at any hardware store. A 60 or 75 watt bulb is usually sufficient.

 

[GrannySue]

I used an adjustable architect's lamp (60 watts), clamped to a shelf above a Rubbermaid tote. No thermometer, I watched the babies as a gauge.

The downside of this is that I'd always figured I couldn't hatch stuff because I needed a fancy brooder. Now that I've discovered how to manage, I keep eyeing the duck eggs every morning wondering if I should try another hatch.

"Ouch!" That was me, slapping myself back to reality for now.