Heat lamp/Brooder question

[Skipcurt]

Last night I was experimenting with the heat lamp I'm going to use for chicks at the end of March. I'll be using a clamp on lamp with 250w red bulb. New purchase from Tractor Supply. At the moment my plan is to use a cardboard box. One box is about 36Lx24Wx24D and the other is about 30Lx20Wx18D. I will use them on their side with a hole cut in it and covered with hardware cloth.

Using the smaller box, I put the thermometer standing at the bottom and start with the lamp at the opening near one end. I check it 30 minutes later and it's only 80. So I rig up a way to lower down onto the box about 6-8 inches from the bottom and it's 110. Raise it up 6in and it's still 110. Another 6 up and I'm at the top again. I even checked the supposed "cooler" end and it was still way too hot down there. How the heck do you get it to regulate? Is it better to use a wire dog crate so that you would have a warm spot instead of a warm room? I keep thinking of when you walk into a sauna or steam room. There typically isn't a cool area of the room because it's essentially closed.

I'm sure there will be responses of "Get a heat plate" but at 3-4 times the price of a lamp and I don't plan on brooding very often so I'm not really looking to invest in a plate.

Please share some knowledge and tips.

Skip

 

[debid]

250 watt bulbs are for unheated barns and such. What you need is a reptile bulb if you want a red bulb. 60-80watts should be more than enough.

But, I'd encourage you to do a search and read about the mama heating pad method first.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I place my clamp on lamp on a post stand. Adjust the height to achieve desired temp. The post/clip lamp is on one end of a rectangle tub.

If the chix get too warm they will go to the cooler side.
I only use the 250 bulb for about 3 to 4 days, then drop the light down low with a 60-75 watt bulb.
Cardboard is dangerous BTW.

 

[TominWa]

Ya I went through that last year too. The farm stores really oversell things. I dropped down to a 75w bulb real quick. And kept raising it too. Put a hook on the ceiling and hang the light, much easier to raise up and down.

Chickens are smart. They run around and when they get cold they run under the light and then run around again. Those 250s will cook. I kept mine inside during the brooder process in a giant set of boxes. It kept expanding. In the end it was getting hard to walk in the room. Prob got down into the upper 40s at night and they were just fine.

The hardest part is when it is time to go outside. Looking up as you with their widdle eyes. 50/50 chance you bring them back in. I did, but I am weak....you might be stronger.

 

[PirateGirl]

Can you maybe cut ventilation slits or holes on one part of the box to create a cooler area?

Also check the warnings/directions that came with your heat lamp/bulb. I feel like mine specified a distance it had to be above the ground/bedding. Perhaps that would be a safe starting point.

Also you may be able to get a bulb that's a different wattage. If your chicks haven't arrived yet, you might still have time to order one in.

 

[Little Chicken Girl]

I would not use a cardboard box as the chicks will get it all messed up (i.e icky/poopy because cardboard is not really that cleanable). Plus, it is a greater fire hazard when you have it with an open heat source. It would be better to use a rubbermaid box/storage container or rabbit/hamster cage (if you are going for inexpensive) unless you plan to hatch lots of chicks. Rabbit/hamster cages have good ventilation, which might help the heat issue.

Best wishes to you and your coming chicks!

 

[PirateGirl]

google homemade chick brooder and just look at images for inspiration... this one made me think of you

 

[JaeG]

Chicks still need to be protected from drafts initially so solid sides are a good idea at least initially, or a cage with a blanket around the sides until they are a little older. Try a lower wattage bulb - it's summer where I am and my bulb that was fine when the weather was cooler (a 60W reflective bulb) is now way too hot. Cardboard is fine as long as there's no way the light can fall into the box by accident. Paper's autoignition point is 451F so unless you plan on cooking your chicks you'll be fine.

 

[debid]

I want to point out that I brooded mine in their coop with a heat bulb that was 125W. It was plenty when the temps were in the teens and too much when it was over 70 (I had to play this game where I'd unplug it and let them use the sun and then remember to turn it back on later...) Seriously, just use a regular bulb if you can't find a special one. That 250 is both an energy hog and dangerously hot. Many more chicks are overheated to death than chilled in a human house.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

All good advice and info so far.
A 250Watt lamp is way too much for a small space. I tested one in a Rubbermaid tub and it got so hot the thermometer exploded.
I used to use those for my hover brooders out in the coop in cold weather.
For small spaces, I either use a lower wattage ceramic heat emitter or a Premier 1 heat plate brooder.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...itter.TRS0&_nkw=ceramic+heat+emitter&_sacat=0
I haven't used a light emitting source of heat in a few years. That way, after the first few days I can provide the chicks with a dark period each night.
The heat plates may seem pricey at first but if you brood chicks more than once, they pay for themselves in energy cost savings. Just know that they won't keep chicks sufficiently warm if the ambient temp is below about 45F.
https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/...QjcPMxLcQZBvd75rQEYaE443IiodkV_0aAsSEEALw_wcB