Confused about brooder heating/lighting

[waitin on eggs]

I agree with the others , dont stress to much about temp. Get a thermometer and start at around 95 then just watch the chicks, you will be able to tell when its the right temp just by their behaviors. My garage lights are on 24/7 along with the brooder lamp, i do not start turning them out at night till about a week before they go to the coop. Good luck

 

[Nslangton]

You have received good information in the posts above. The red light will be calming and allow to sleep at night, but also to see to eat if the are hungry. Mine ate day and night until they were out of the brooder at 6-7 weeks. The biggest problem is raising the red heat lamp up so high as to not overheat them when they are a couple of weeks old. They only make the red lights in 250 wt, then you can only find 25 wt "party bulbs," so you may have to use some 60, 75, or 100 watt incandescent bulbs (not fluorescent) which tend to cause the chicks to become more rowdy. 100 wt bulbs are now off the market unless you can find old stock.

A pet store that carries reptile supplies carry red heat bulbs in 100 watt and 150 watt. I also found them on line. I wanted to use a red light for the chicks, but started with a very small brooder. I couldn't figure out how to not cook the chicks with the 250 watt standard red heat lamp. They also make 125 infared heat bulbs, but they only come in clear. The chicks are now in a large brooder with the 250 watt red light that I only have in one corner. I agree with everyone else about not to stress the temperature. It is much easier to just watch the chicks to see if they are comfortable. I drove myself crazy for about a month before the chicks came worrying about temperature. My vet laughed at me and stated how amazing it was that chicks have been around far longer then electricity and managed just fine.

 

[GlacierHen]

I have a 60 watt normal household light with reflector on my laying chicks at one end of a cardboard refrigerator box - laid on its side and top cut off. I use a thermometer to set the height of the bulb so that the temperature doesn't go over 95 degrees. After that the chicks take care of themselves. If they get too warm and as they get older they move away from the light. The light is on 24 hours a day and they sleep just fine with the light on. As the chicks grow I raise the light. If you see your chicks panting, then they are too warm and probably have too small of a space to get away from the heat.