Do chicks always need a heat lamp?

[FC16]

So I’m a bit worried with the whole heat lamp thing, could leaving it on overnight cause a fire? Do chicks need it 24/7, are there any times throughout the day they do not need it?

 

[sourland]

It would depend upon their age, heat requirements, and ambient temperature.

 

[FC16]

It would depend upon their age, heat requirements, and ambient temperature.

So would you say leave the heat lamp on all the time, and as long as it’s pointing directly into their brooder it should be fine?

 

[sourland]

I'd be more inclined to go with another heat source. Do an on site search on 'mama heating pad' or heating pads.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicks do not need a heat lamp, they need a place warm enough in the coolest temperatures and a cool enough place in the warmest temperatures. How warm that place needs to be depends on their age. Too little warmth can kill them. Too much heat can kill them. I find it best to provide a warm spot and a cool spot and let them decide where they want to go.

They don't care where the heat comes from. You can use a heat lamp, heating pad, heat plate, or several other warming devices. As long as they are hooked up properly they can be safe and effective. If any of them are hooked up wrong you can have issues.

Personally I use a heat lamp in my brooder built into the coop so I brood outside. I throw away the clamp that came with the heat lamp and use wire or chain to hold it in place so it can't fall. I use different wattage bulbs to give off different levels of heat depending on how cold it is. In winter I use a 250 watt bulb, in other weather I might use a 125 or 75 watt bulb. I can adjust how far away from the brooder it is by the length of the wire or chain. I heat one end of my 3' x 6' brooder and let the rest cool off as it will. In winter I might get ice in the far end. In summer they may stay at the far end.

One risk with a small brooder made out of a bin or aquarium is that it is so small it can overheat. It can be hard to get one end warm enough without having the far end too hot also. What does your brooder look like? How big is it and how do you have it set up? Are you brooding in your house or outside where the temperature changes?

Some people use heating pads and make caves, others use heat plates for the chicks to get under. I don't use those so I can't tell you the details of how they should be set up but they can be very effective.

Whatever source of heat you provide you cannot just provide it part of the time. How often they need it will depend on how cold the ambient temperature is but if they need to warm up they need to warm up.

 

[NatJ]

I agree with Ridgerunner: chicks need the right temperature, and they do not care how you provide that temperature.

Chicks with a mother hen will run under her to warm up, then out to explore, then back under to warm up.

For chicks being raised without a hen, it usually works well to have a warm part and a cool part in the brooder, and let the chicks move around to choose the place that's right for them at any given time.

 

[3KillerBs]

Personally I use a heat lamp in my brooder built into the coop so I brood outside. I throw away the clamp that came with the heat lamp and use wire or chain to hold it in place so it can't fall. I use different wattage bulbs to give off different levels of heat depending on how cold it is. In winter I use a 250 watt bulb, in other weather I might use a 125 or 75 watt bulb. I can adjust how far away from the brooder it is by the length of the wire or chain. I heat one end of my 3' x 6' brooder and let the rest cool off as it will. In winter I might get ice in the far end. In summer they may stay at the far end.

And, following this advice, I'm on my third batch of outdoor-brooded, heat-lamp raised chicks (who will be a week old tomorrow).

I have a 250 watt red bulb, a 150 watt reptile night bulb, a 100 watt reptile night bulb, and a 60 watt reptile night bulb. I adjust both the height the lamp hangs on it's chain and the size of the bulb to provide the desired temperature in the existing conditions.

I do not worry about the safety of the lamp because,

1. It's hanging on a chain from a secure hook, not on the little clamp.

2. The small coop where they are now is 16 square feet so I can easily keep the lamp well away from walls, etc.

3. The larger brooder where they will be moved to tomorrow is 32 square feet -- offering even better safety clearance.

I *personally* would worry more about running a heating pad 24/7 for a month than about a properly-set-up heat lamp. Heating pads aren't designed for continuous operation like that.

I would like to get a brooder plate. Not because I'm worried about the lamp being safe when correctly operated, but because in my climate overheating is a serious risk. This past May I had trouble on some days keeping my brooder under 100F despite 26 square feet of ventilation. There are days when no one is home during the day to make the adjustments to the bulb and height so a brooder plate would be handy then.

Unfortunately, most brooder plates are designed for indoor operation and are not recommended for use when ambient temperatures are below 50F.

 

[Brooks_]

With my first batch I used a 100w incandescent bulb. It was already early summer, so not much heat was needed. It did produce a warm side and cool side, I consider that ideal. For my hatch, I used a brooder plate as I was brooding them differently. It worked well. I would recommend the style of plate that has a peaked topper. Mine was flat and still warm on top. I guess it felt good on their feet. Leaving me with a poop crusted plate.

 

[Farmlife16]

How old are your chicks? I turn off the heat lamp at night when they are about 3-5 days old. You have to watch the chicks, if they aren't huddling close together then you can take them off heat for awhile. Chicks are hardier than you would think. I took my last batch off chicks off heat at about a 1.5 weeks old when temps were often in the 60s. They are now about 3 weeks old and running around outside all day. This isn't the only batch of chicks I've done this with and so far I've had no problems. It really depends on the individual chicks. Obviously if they are day old chicks you probably don't want to take them off heat.

If you do take them off heat at night, they will peep really loud because they are scared of the dark. They'll eventually snuggle together and first thing in the morning I make sure they have heat to warm up. I personally think it is healthier for chicks not to have a light on all night. But, many people brood chicks different ways and at the end of the day they all grow up to be beautiful chickens