Can you give chicks too much light?

[mpgo4th]

I'm not talking about the red heat lamp but white light from the room. My brooder is in a basement bathroom with the overhead light on. I turn it on about 6:30-7:00 am and sometimes forget to turn it off until 11-12:00 pm. Is this too much light or does it matter? The chicks do sleep with the light on sometimes.

 

[chickzndahood]

you keep the light on 24/7

 

[mpgo4th]

No, from early am till late pm it's on. Then off over night.

 

[aggiemae]

We keep our brooder light on 27/7 until we get the temp down to 75 degrees. After that it stays off unless it's cooler than 50 in the garage in which case we put it on at night until the chicks are about 7 weeks old. I do side more because the bedding and so the air, gets very damp and the light dies it out.

 

[SobbaChickens]

They still get light from the heat lamp and depending on their age you should have the heat lamp on 24/7. The only reason (that I know of) for using a red heat bulb over a white heat bulb is because it covers up any bloody sores a chick might have so it's less likely to get pecked on my other chicks, they will really go after the color red. I had some paper shavings in my brooder when I first brought my chicks home and they really attacked the red pieces of paper.

I use white light because I've checked all the stores in my area and nobody has any red ones but I don't give any extra light besides the heat lamp.


-Katie

 

[mpgo4th]

I use a red heat lamp 24/7. I was referring to the overhead bathroom light that was on. I didn't know if they needed it to be dark at night other than the red heat lamp. Like a light to make the days longer in the winter for layers. I didn't want to teach my hen at 4 weeks that they get light 15 hours a day.

 

[SobbaChickens]

I use a red heat lamp 24/7. I was referring to the overhead bathroom light that was on. I didn't know if they needed it to be dark at night other than the red heat lamp. Like a light to make the days longer in the winter for layers. I didn't want to teach my hen at 4 weeks that they get light 15 hours a day.

Yeah I get what you are saying. I don't give my chicks any extra light. They spent their first two weeks in a tote in my bathtub and I never kept the overhead light on. In fact they didn't like it when someone would go in there and turn the light on, they were much happier with just the heat lamp. Does your basement have windows? I don't know, sorry lol I've been reading quite a bit of information and I've read nothing about giving them more light than just the lamp.

 

[mpgo4th]

No windows. They are in the basement bathroom. They seem to be happy and healthy. They do perk up in the morning when I turn the light on.