heat emitter vs. lightbulb for chicks??

[vermontgal]

I have a 100w heat emitter for my flock in the winter. I am wondering about using this with chicks. Some on here have reported that did not disrupt sleep schedules.

According to Gail Damerow in Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, chicks should be raised in decreasing daylight until point of lay. For a chick born after the summer solstice, this happens naturally. For a chick born earlier, artificial light would be needed? Last year's chicks were born in late June/July.

Info? Opinions?

 

[howtogrowanegg]

Hi Vermontgal (... fellow Vermonter ...)

I've been trying to soak up as much information as possible before we get our first ever chicks at the end of the month.

Forgive me for not being able to remember where exactly I read this, but I read that the red (infrared) lights were better than white lights because it allowed them rest better, but still provided enough light to allow the chicks to find the food and water if they needed to. I've read comments about white lights and chicks pecking at each other.

The article continued to say that chicks shouldn't be on a schedule of sleeping at night until they are older ... a few weeks or so.

Of course you can't believe everything you read on the Internet, right?

I plan on getting a red light.

What have you decided?

Scott