Couple questions about new chicks

[Aquaman05]

I'm keeping new chicks in my barn. I used pine shavings on the floor, for the walls I used some of the tri-fold project boards(4) stapled together. Red heat lamp, and the temp was about 92. Chicks are about 8-10 days old.
Its gonna get cold, 15 or so at night. Will my heat lamp need moved down some or will the temp stay about the same ? ( under the heat lamp)
i kinda put the water close by the light and so far no freezing has anyone ever had the water freeze and break the bottle ?
thanks for looking

 

[countrygoddess]

If you could bring them in the house, I would. The PAPER trifolds with the WOOD shavings and a lowered heat lamp makes me really, really nervous... How many chicks do you have? I made a great little brooder out of a large, clear plastic tote. I cut a big section out of the top and bolted hardware cloth over the hole. You just snap the top on and put the heat lamp on the hardware cloth. Voila! Drafts are minimal and the chicks are very safe, so long as the lamp doesn't get pulled onto the plastic edge of the top, where it might melt the plastic.

 

[Aquaman05]

I have 5 chicks.
tri-folds are not even close to heat lamp. Not worried about wind or anything since I set them up in my barn.
I just was wondering if the outside temp changes if it will affect the temp under the heat. Lamp ?

 

[countrygoddess]

It may. You'd have to watch the babies to see if they huddle under the lamp once the temperature drops--that would indicate that they are feeling too cold. The thought of the set-up still makes me nervous. Brooder fires are very common and you could lose your entire barn...

 

[countrygoddess]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/brooder-safety-fear-heat-lamp.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/101959/cardboard-brooder-box-just-caught-fire

I finally bit the bullet and got a Brinsea EcoGlow 50 chick brooder. They're pricey, but I've always worried so much about heat lamps. Even the very safe set-up I had last year worried me. The dust that inevitably accompanies chicks would settle on the metal lamp reflector and I could smell it burning. Spending the money on the EcoGlow is worth the peace of mind and knowing that my chicks--AND my house or barn--will be that much safer. It also is cheaper to use. Just my two cents...

 

[baldwinchickens]

I would watch them closely for the first day or so. If they are huddling together, they are too cold. If they are spreading apart, their too hot! I've never thought of using tri fold boards! Great idea!!

 

[kalson]

We picked up chicks yesterday and we are keeping them in our spare bathroom in the tub. We used old towels and pine shavings to the bedding. We have a heat lamp on a chain above the tub and a digital thermometer in the tub with them. If the temp is wrong we can bring the lamp closer (or farther) by moving the chain up or down by a link or two.

 

[Aquaman05]

It may. You'd have to watch the babies to see if they huddle under the lamp once the temperature drops--that would indicate that they are feeling too cold. The thought of the set-up still makes me nervous. Brooder fires are very common and you could lose your entire barn...

Thanks for the comments !!
The heat lamp setup does make me nervous but I think most people are using them kinda like I am for my setup. Even where I purchased them from the store had about 15 heat lamps. That brooder you spoke about is out of stock
I'm going to watch the chicks here close for a few days.
i wonder if a heating pad will be ok under te pine shavings ?

 

[Aquaman05]

I have some pics but can't get them on here

 

[countrygoddess]

I got my EcoGlow off ebay. The price was about the same, but the Brinsea website said someone had to be home to sign for it. I couldn't guarantee that I could home to do that, so I ordered the ebay one. Here's a 20 chick EcoGlow that I found on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EcoGlow-Chi...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f1e1d9fcc

It costs just about the same as the EcoGlow on the Brinsea site. Shipping is $5 cheaper from the ebay seller. I'm not sure about putting a heating pad under the pine shavings. I think ideally, chicks need the heat from above. The nice thing about the EcoGlow is that they can nestle their backs up against it like they do with mama.

The bathtub is a great idea but wouldn't work for us even if we did have a spare tub. We've got a cat and a dog and I plan on hatching close to 100 chicks this spring if at all possible (for my breeding program--I'll wind up keeping 10% of them as the best of the best).