Heat bulb & flooring choice- which are best?

[1keegan]

We live in the north and temperatures are cold. We do not have any other chickens at this point.

We will be getting 6 chicks next week and brooding in a 3x3 puppy ex pen (24" tall sides) in our dining room or kitchen. I plan to line the insides of the pen with cardboard to avoid escapees and drafts, but am unsure of what to use as a waterproof base to protect our wood floor. Is a Clear shower curtain liner safe for fumes? Folded tarp? Shavings are planned for the next layer.

Also wondering whether to use the standard red 250 watt bulbs attached safely to the rigid sides of the pen, or consider ordering a 125 watt red bulb? ceramic reptile heat bulb that doesn't give off light? How close/low do the reptile bulbs need to be to the chicks? What have you experienced as the pros and cons of each?

I read threads about the mother heating pad, and like the idea of not having a light on all the time. If you've had success with that method, would you provide any other heat source in the pen?

Thanks in advance for sharing your insight.

 

[azygous]

Definitely place the shower curtain down first. Spills can happen.

The choices for types of brooders and heat sources are numerous. The heating pad method is now used by almost as many of us that use the heat lamp method. All of these are discussed in threads on BYC.

Here is how I brood. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/ Here's my most recent version of the heating pad cave. It most closely resembles a broody hen in comfort and quiet chicks.

 

[1keegan]

Thank you, azygous, for your suggestions.

 

[Henry&Friends]

Clear shower curtain works underneath, and I line my brooder with a used feed bag (I can lift it out, dump the shavings/straw, rinse it and repeat)

if you do use a heat bulb, do not use Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) coated bulbs. They are extremely toxic to birds and could kill them within hours. I use a 250 watt red bulb, I can pick up a pack of 2 for about 10 bucks at Ace. The lamp fixture itself should be ceramic, not plastic (because it melts and causes fires) and the lamp should be enforced, reinforced and then an extra backup reinforcement to keep it from falling and starting a fire.

I’m not sure the temperatures the brooder should be, but they shouldn’t pile up under the heat lamp nor seem to pile up as far from it as they can. I place the heat lamp on one side of the brooder so that there’s a warmer zone and a cooler zone— you want them to kind of spread out over the entire brooder so you know they’re comfortable. And you should raise the lamp/lower the temp every week or two to accumulate them to outside temperatures and keep them from overheating while they feather out.

I have not used a momma heating pad, but eventually I would like to so that I can brood chicks outdoors... that’s a future project for me when I don’t live with my mom, though.

(Picture of brooder attached, although I moved the brooder out of the closet because there wasn’t enough ventilation)

 

[Manda at old mill]

I've used a tarp spread underneath as the mess can go beyond what is expected. I've also used a heat lamp but my recent batch is larger and when they started flying removed in in exchange for a brooder for safety as there are 30 of them threatening that dangerous lamp and I just felt uncomfortable.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Tarp is fine, shower curtain should be fine too. I've used plastic sheeting (like you'd see in construction projects) since I have a large roll of it in the garage.

I no longer brood indoors and use a mama heating pad outside. No additional heat is needed - as much as chicks need heat they also need a place to escape from the heat.

If you opt for a heat lamp I'd get the reptile bulb, a "standard" 250W heat bulb is amazingly hot and I seriously don't know how I didn't set my bathroom on fire the first time I brooded. Good for large groups of chicks in a large set up, but overkill for most smaller groups.

We will be getting 6 chicks next week and brooding in a 3x3 puppy ex pen (24" tall sides) in our dining room or kitchen. I plan to line the insides of the pen with cardboard to avoid escapees and drafts

1) Do you have a safe and secure cover made for that pen? 2 week old chicks would be jumping out of that without issue.
2) I hope your coop is ready as well? I cannot imagine having chicks in my KITCHEN putting out dander upwards of 6' from the brooder. Plus they're going to outgrow the pen in around 5, 6 weeks.

 

[devora]

https://www.amazon.com/Premier-Chic...sr_1_4?keywords=brooder&qid=1583273828&sr=8-4

 

[1keegan]

Tarp is fine, shower curtain should be fine too. I've used plastic sheeting (like you'd see in construction projects) since I have a large roll of it in the garage.

I no longer brood indoors and use a mama heating pad outside. No additional heat is needed - as much as chicks need heat they also need a place to escape from the heat.

If you opt for a heat lamp I'd get the reptile bulb, a "standard" 250W heat bulb is amazingly hot and I seriously don't know how I didn't set my bathroom on fire the first time I brooded. Good for large groups of chicks in a large set up, but overkill for most smaller groups.



1) Do you have a safe and secure cover made for that pen? 2 week old chicks would be jumping out of that without issue.
2) I hope your coop is ready as well? I cannot imagine having chicks in my KITCHEN putting out dander upwards of 6' from the brooder. Plus they're going to outgrow the pen in around 5, 6 weeks.

Our coop and run are ready, except for electricity.
I'm going to see if I can't make a mama heating pad.
The sides of the pen are 24" tall, and we have baby gates or window screens to use for covers. We also have a larger, taller ex pen to enlarge the pen as needed. With chicks arriving in a week, my hope is to have them outside in 6 weeks, or as soon as they've feathered out.
After thinking about shavings and dust, I'm leaning towards setting up the brooder in the laundry room instead of the kitchen!

My concern with the shower curtain was whether or not it would give off fumes.

 

[Sherryxander]

Clear shower curtain works underneath, and I line my brooder with a used feed bag (I can lift it out, dump the shavings/straw, rinse it and repeat)

if you do use a heat bulb, do not use Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene) coated bulbs. They are extremely toxic to birds and could kill them within hours. I use a 250 watt red bulb, I can pick up a pack of 2 for about 10 bucks at Ace. The lamp fixture itself should be ceramic, not plastic (because it melts and causes fires) and the lamp should be enforced, reinforced and then an extra backup reinforcement to keep it from falling and starting a fire.

I’m not sure the temperatures the brooder should be, but they shouldn’t pile up under the heat lamp nor seem to pile up as far from it as they can. I place the heat lamp on one side of the brooder so that there’s a warmer zone and a cooler zone— you want them to kind of spread out over the entire brooder so you know they’re comfortable. And you should raise the lamp/lower the temp every week or two to accumulate them to outside temperatures and keep them from overheating while they feather out.

I have not used a momma heating pad, but eventually I would like to so that I can brood chicks outdoors... that’s a future project for me when I don’t live with my mom, though.

(Picture of brooder attached, although I moved the brooder out of the closet because there wasn’t enough ventilation)View attachment 2040949

Hi, where can I buy this brooder. We have one that I picked up at a garage sale. I would really like another. Thank you.

 

[1keegan]

Definitely place the shower curtain down first. Spills can happen.

The choices for types of brooders and heat sources are numerous. The heating pad method is now used by almost as many of us that use the heat lamp method. All of these are discussed in threads on BYC.

Here is how I brood. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/ Here's my most recent version of the heating pad cave. It most closely resembles a broody hen in comfort and quiet chicks.View attachment 2040814

Any heating pad will do? The most basic Sunbeam from Amazon?