Heat Lamp Issues

[ChickLife4Life]

I just got baby chicks yesterday, 10 rare breeds. We made this little pin out of cardboard and put newspaper on the bottom. The pin is in my garage where during the day it gets very warm especially since it's June. We bought a 250 watt heat lamp, but other people in my family were nervous about keeping the heat lamp on all night since it gets very hot, they worry about a fire starting. So they put in a regular white light in the lamp. The chicks survived the night, but when I went to check on them at 7:00 in the morning they were all huddled up in the corner. I turned on the heat lamp with the heat bulb and they moved around and fell asleep all in different areas.

Does anyone know a good solution for this issue?

Or is it an issue?

 

[andreanar]

I'm not sure about the light bulb,I use a red heat lamp and I leave it on,i just take precaution to make it safe. But you really should buy some pine shavings for them to walk on, newspaper is slippery and can cause spraddle leg.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yes, the 250Watt bulbs are simply way too hot for warm weather brooding.

A 60 − 100 watt bulb produces plenty of heat, inside the shield, to warm chicks in summer. The 250's also consumes gobs of electricity and are thus a waste of energy. If the ambient air temperature is already 70 degrees in summer, it takes very, very little to raise a warm spot to 85-90 degrees.

I do prefer red bulbs as it seems more calming than the glaring white bulbs. I also like a hard thick glass bulb that isn't easily broken. For those reasons, I buy these decorative floods at Lowes, HD, or other electric supply discount places.

 

[ChickLife4Life]

Do you know a place I can buy a 60 - 100 watt heat bulb? Everywhere I've looked only has 250.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Bulbs all generate heat. That's the point. You do not need a "heat" bulb, per se. The bulbs I showed above generate plenty of heat for summer use.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Especially in the summer the idea is to only heat one area and give them room to move way from that area if they get hot. Heat is dangerous but if they have one warm spot to warm up and a cool area to go to, they will find their own comfort zone. That will probably be all over the brooder, moving from warm to cool as they wish.

It's normal for them to sleep in a group. That does not mean they are cold, it means they like company.

Fred, my local Lowe's don't have those lower wattage red bulbs on the shelf, just the 250's (yes I asked), but I found some similar at Ace Hardware. Sometimes you just have to look around. I was starting to think I'd have to order online.

 

[Fred's Hens]

RR, actually, we avoid buying them at the Big Box stores, as per the price they charge. Yikes. Been finding them at those odd lots, salvage type place for 1/3 the price. Bought some spares. Never know when the Global Warming regs will kick in an won't be able to find them.

 

[rancher hicks]

My usual thing with new chicks is to use paper towels on the floor for the first couple of days so I can watch them and make sure they're eating and pooping. Then switch to large chip wood shavings.

I use clean plastic bins bought at Walmart, hanging the light near the center or just above. I cut out the center of the lid and replace it with wire fencing. I tape a thermometer at chick head level to monitor the temp of the brooder.

I do buy the 250 watt bulbs but have found them to be more heat than chicks need, unless kept in a cold room like the garage. You can purchase smaller wattage like the ones shown by Fred and I've seen them in a 175 watt size.

I've also used inside the house a 100 watt incandescent white bulb.

I've set my lights up so they are on a chain that I can clip the light too and raise as the chicks grow.

There have been a number of BYC members who have had fires with heat lights so use caution. Cardboard and newspaper are two things I would not use near a heat light.

I wish you well,

Rancher

 

[Pinkaboo]

Electric hen

I much prefer the electric hen
It doesn't give off heat( well not much)
But if you touch it its hot

I've no idea what the temp is in my brooder and I don't need to know or worry
If the chicks are cold the snuggle under, too hot they lay with their heads handing out
It uses way less electricity
And isn't a fire hazard
They adjust as chick grows you raise it
Or you can have front high and back low


The only negative I can think of is I have to lift it twice a day to clean under it
And they take up space, but the chicks love being on top of it
I love it

 

[lm84]

Me too! I have the Brinsea Ecoglow and I can't imagine having anything else! I don't have to worry about a hot bulb causing a fire or exploding. I don't need to worry about anyone getting burned on it. And the chicks just run under it when they want to get warm!