Bulb for brooder?

You will find that a 40 watt bulb will work. Take the dimmer out, that is only one more thing that could go out and cause a problem. Make the bator as simple as possible, heat, air, humidity and movement. After a few hundred hatches you will figure out any other problems that you might have. Good luck.

 

I think the OP is talking about a brooder for chicks, the first reply is in regards to an incubator.
For a plastic bin, you can use a 125 if it's pretty far from the floor of the brooder and the top is off. A 100 will work too, just a little closer to the brooder. We start with 125, then switch to 100's after 2 or 3 days, and down to a 60 after a week or so depending on how the room temp is where the brooder is located. I have heard of using a dimmer, but I've also heard of problems with dimmers and higher wattage bulbs. I've never tried it - might work great!
Just remember, the entire brooder doesn't need to be hot. There needs to be a slightly cooler area where they can get away from the heat, so concentrate your bulb on 2/3 of the area. I like to put the food and water in between the warmer and cooler area at first and then move it to the cooler area after a few days.
Watch the chicks and you'll figure out what they need pretty quickly. They'll get right under the heat at first, but after a few hours they should be moving around diff. areas of the brooder if they are warm enough.

 

I use a 250 watt bulb and make certain that it is placed high enough.

I wouldn't use a dimmer with a high wattage bulb.

 

I hang a 100 watt, red, outdoor type flood light, in a metal cage with a ceramic socket, over one end of the brooder box. I highly recommend the red light to discourage any pecking.

I got the fixture from the feed store and found the bulb at an Ace Hardware store. It's not labeled as a heat lamp, just outdoor flood light. It throws plenty of heat for the chicks and I can raise it or lower it as needed. Make sure the light is well secured and can't ignite shavings or melt plastic.

Happy brooding, I have a hatch next week!

 

I started out using a Lrg plastic tote but found that the chicks when I added the feeder and water the chicks ran out of space to get away from the heat bulb when they needed to. I did have 17 chicks. I had an infar red heat bulb. I ended up moving mine to a large brooder outside.

 

I have Christmas lights curled up in a peace of pipe wired to a thermostat. Pipe stays 100 degrees but the brooder stays cold. Chicks snuggle up to the pipe when they get cold.


You can watch it working here.
http://cmfarm.us/cam_1.html

 

Quote:I use dimmers all the time with all kind of wattage bulbs ranging from 75W to 250W (just make sure your dimmer is rated for more than 250W if you use 250W bulb.)

Never had a dimmer failure, using dimmers gives me total control, saves the energy and is safer than using bulb alone, since you DECREASE output and bulb temperature 99% of time.

I could not brood birds without a dimmers!


DIMM IT !

 

how high off the floor at day 1?


i was debating this. all i can find are 175w and 250w