Heat lamp question....

[Ddurlak]

When the chicks first arrive I'm told they need a heat lamp to keep them warm. And I'm told that they need this lamp until all of their feathers are in.
Does this mean the lamp needs to be on 24/7 ? Is there a difference between the red bulbs and white , other than color?

David

 

[nsanywhere]

yup, 24x7. They can't keep themselves warm for at least 3 weeks and need an external heat source (in place of mama hen). It needs to be ~100 degrees the first week, down by 5 degrees each week after that. If they get a chill they can die quickly.

The red bulb is often preferred because its a more ambient light. People say the bright white keeps chicks up, but I've used both with no problems.

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Hi.

Yes, the light is on 24/7 & you might do better to get the red light due to the chicks potentially pecking each other. The red light makes the appearance of anything red (which is a literal CHICK MAGNET) less distinguishable to the chicks, in case one gets a wound for some reason, etc. I had a VERY red chick that didn't even have any bobos, but her red feathers had all the chicks picking away, although not in an aggressive manner. They'd follow the lil red frizzle around just calmly nibbling & her feathers were getting destroyed, so someone on here suggested the red light, & wah-lah! Problem solved. The red "heat lamps" are a bit warmer, from what I understand, though. I always use a regular 60watt bulb in mine. ( I put red brake-light tape over the glass bulb-enclosure to get the same effect.) Plenty warm. My chicks liked it a bit cooler than the recommended temps for their ages. Just go by the chicks' cues as to the brooder temp. Enjoy your new babies!

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes, the lamp needs to be on 24/7 to maintain temps. appx. as follows: 95 week one, 90 week 2, 85 week 3, etc., reducing by about 5 degrees per week. These temps. are average, as some do fine a little cooler. The chicks will let you know if they're too cold by clumping up under the lamp rather than scattered about all over.
If your brooder is outside and you have hot temps, within 3 weeks they would probably be okay for daytime (although they'd need the lamp as soon as temps fall for the evening). Most use the red bulbs because they are less harsh during the night.