Can I use a regular lightbulb for heat?

[hawtchick]

or should I use the 250 red heat lamp for my new chicks? I wasn't sure if the "light' would mess them up sleepwise. They are warm and toasty with it, but I am second guessing my choice as I have always used a red head lamp bulb.
Thanks!!

 

[Chicken Woman]

If you put a thermostat in the brooder it will help. 95 degrees week 1 and 5 degrees less each week untill 6 weeks.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

I have regular light bulbs in all my brooders.

 

[amyc]

I use 2 40 watt bulbs in the heat lamp using an adapter thing (I'm not sure what it's called - but it basically makes it so you can put two light bulbs in where you would only have one). The temp has worked good for me - and now I don't have to worry about the bulb burning out when I'm at work and there not being any heat in the brooder.

I've heard that the red bulb does help calm them down - but my birds aren't too hyper and don't pick on each other.

 

[andrea98]

mine are 3 weeks i got them as day olds & i have used a 100 watt reg house bulb & they sleep fine & i have no1 that pecks

 

[1birdlady]

We too used a 60W bulb in a work light hanger thingee when they were 2-3 days old...it kept them warm enough and there was no picking or huddling. (4 Barred Rock pullets).

They are now about 4 weeks old and doing well with no light...squat where they are to sleep and growing like *weeds*

We're in the Houston Texas area so our temps are getting warm.

We play with them several times a day, and they are becoming very tame. They are like "velocoraptors" when it comes to a broccoli floret!

Too funny!

In another week or so, they are ready to go OUT to their new enclosure. Pix another time.

 

[m2wandc]

I personally prefer a red heat lamp, because from what I've read the white light is okay when you're referring to heat if the thermo says the right temp...BUT many articles state that the white light sort of keeps them wired and a little more stressed, where the red let's them rest and calm down a little more...so for me it was worth getting the red lamp so I could have calm pets...

in a nutshell, a white light is fine, but a red lamp is better.