Ecoglow20 questions?

[Yankee Chickens]

First time chick parents here. We recived our chicks from family farm and home. After bring our chickes home and inside for now we relized that thier had to be a better way to heat the chicks besides heat lamps. In the last week i have read so many horror stories about them starting fires liveing in michigan it still pretty cold this week it might get down in the single digits.After looking at alternative options I decided to go with the ecoglow 20. It was really hard to justify the price especially for our first time having them and only having 4. So far our chicks love it and we do to... that being said I still have a few questions.

1. It doesn't seem like it is producing enough heat. When the chicks come out from underheath they seem happy and warm to the touch. It just seems like it should be warmer.

2. We currently have it sat at the lowest level when should we move it up?

3. I seen people use contact paper for the top. Does tht work good does it get to hott.?

4 I seen one person on here said that it can connect to a battery? ??

5 when will I know my chicks wont need it anymore?

Thanks in advanced

 

[QueenMisha]

First of all congrats on choosing one. I got one this past Christmas and ever since I've been recommending it to everyone. I will NEVER go back to heat lamps! I am one of those folks who had a very very very close call with a brooder fire a year or two back so it's been extremely worth it imo.

To answer your questions:

1. It does produce enough heat. It should be very warm but NOT hot to the touch. It runs a little colder than the body temp of a real hen. It doesn't radiate heat because it's meant to be in contact with the chicks' body; it also mimics a real hen in that sense.

2. Whenever they are all having a hard time fitting under it. For my last batch of 4 chicks, that occurred around 3-4 weeks of age.

3. You mean to keep the top clean? I just scrub it with a sponge once a week. I don't see any reason paper would be a problem though, the top doesn't really get hot.

4. I'm not sure exactly how it would connect to a battery. Looking at mine I don't think it could but maybe someone has DIYed it to do so.

5. Depends on weather. If it's warm or hot out (60-70+ degrees), chicks can go off heat at 4 weeks. Above freezing, 6-7 weeks, and below freezing, 8+ weeks.

 

[aldarita]

I have been using the ecoglow for three years now. It uses radiant heat so it will never get too hot for the chicks (this is what makes it so good for growing chicks, there is no fire threat and uses very little electricity). As you may have already discovered, as soon as the chicks are able, they jump on top and do a lot of pooping. I used wipes with disinfectant to clean it and don't worry the top doesn't get hot. As they grow (which is very fast) you need to adjust the settings to make it higher, you will be able to tell when it needs to be adjusted. Depending on the temperature where you are planning to move your chicks and if they are mostly feathered, you should be able to remove the heater after 4 or 5 weeks.

I am picking up three chicks at the beginning of April, travel time to get them is one and a half hours each way, since they are only three of them I am a little concern about keeping them warm during the trip. I am planning to take my ecoglow with me, I will place it in a box twice the size as the ecoglow and hook it to an inverter and to our truck. I emailed Brinsea asking them about this idea but haven't heard from them I will have to give them a call, however I do not see any problem trying this and might answer your question about hooking your ecoglow to a battery.
Good luck with your chicks!!!

 

[ChickenGirl23]

I use glad press and seal on top of mine. I replace it when it gets poopy. I found it to be an easy way to keep it clean since I could easily wipe or replace as needed.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

So my chicks don't seem to understand to go under it when they are cold. I put them under it and they stay for a little while then come out and play and then I find them fighting over the spot where the sun shines in. I just moved them in the brooder this morning. Will they figure it out in time?

 

[Clio320i]

I concur with those above regarding Ecoglow questions:

Does it get warm enough underneath? - Yes, absolutely. Because it's radiant heat, you don't really feel it when you put your hand under, but it is totally great for the chicks.

When to move it up? - I put a small block of wood under one side when my chicks were about 10 days old. It was quite warm for a couple of days then, and I kept finding them splayed out in front of the Ecoglow instead of under it. The weather has cooled since, but the chicks have grown a bit so I think they still appreciate the extra 1/2" of height on the one side sometimes. Most of the time, though, I still see them all together on the lower side. They are 16 days old today.

Putting contact paper on top - It doesn't get warm on top at all. I put rubbery shelf liner on top. When it gets poopy, I just rinse it off and squeeze it out, wipe off the surface, and put the shelf liner back.

Battery: you could certainly plugin it in to a camping battery. But other than that I don't know. I would *like* to know, in case I ever get a power outage...

When the chicks won't need it anymore: I can't speak to that one myself, as this is my first go-round with it.

One thing I've noticed my chicks tended to do when very young was get stuck between the wall of the brooder and the end or back side of the Ecoglow. To prevent this I folded up some extra shelf liner and stuffed it between the brooder and the wall.

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

Will they learn to go under it on their own? That's the issue I'm having. They start peeping like they are getting stepped on so I go put them under it and they get quite and stay under it till they get warmed.

 

[Clio320i]

Mine did. I had to shove them under a couple of times, but then they figured it out. I've seen a lot of people mention that during the learning process, esp if they are already used to some other heat source, it helps to remove any and all other heat sources so that they HAVE to use the Ecoglow. Maybe try to block out that ray of sunshine at least temporarily?

 

[jonezjollyfarm]

That's what I did and went out to tell my hens and roo their babies are doing good and came back and they were under it so that's got to be a good sign. Hopefully they will teach the last 2 still in the incubator when they come in to brood.

 

[realsis]

My babies just came yesterday and thus is my first time using it. After showing the babies food and water I placed each one (10)under the warm ecoglow. I did this two other times and they took right to it. NO CHICK CRIED LAST NIGHT. NOT EVEN A PEEP. THEY ALL SLEPT COMFORTABLE UNDER IT. Now they are starting on regulating their own body temperature by coming out, eating,drinking,playing then running when they are cold to the Ecoglow. No one is distressed or distress chirping and it's working out wonderfully. I'm very Greatful!