Heat lamp questions!

[Mark kim]

Hi i was wondering if my house will go on fire if i leave a heat lamp on for like a few weeks straight. my second question is that can i use like a red bulb day and night on baby chicks? or do i have to use like red at night and white in the day?

 

[kman]

i use the red at all times, i have heard that it reduces the pecking at each other( do not know how true it is). when they get older or out grow my first brooder they go into an 8' by 3' brooder i made for them and it has several lights red and regular 60 watt bulbs i have 8 bulbs in it on two different dimmer switches for controling the temp(it is very open and that many blubs was the only way to keep it warm on those cold nights

 

[prancie]

The red is fine for day and night. I prefer it to the white anyways. It's easier on their (and my) eyes.

No, your house will not catch on fire if your heat lamp is on for weeks and weeks. Just don't put the heat lamp directly on anything flammable and you will be fine.

 

[DeGriz]

Quote:
Many variables here depend on your set-up.

Yes you will need to leave the red light (heat lamp) on for a few weeks straight to maintain temperature in the brooder.

Make sure it is the kind with the ceramic socket base. (not plastic)

Secure it to the ceiling with eye hooks or zip ties or ?. secure it in multiple places to act as a back up if the main attachement point fails.

A lot of dust will be created by the shavings...clean the light often.

Do not rely on the clamp that comes with some brooder lights. secure it by the hanger and the cord.

Best of Luck

 

[Mark kim]

thank you for your replys

 

[hinkjc]

I find if you're brooding your chicks in the house at room temp, a 60-100 watt bulb is generally enough heat for them. I only use 250 watt heat lamps for outdoors or in the garage.

 

[Leghorn Junction]

I may have really spoiled my 6 silkies. They're 7-1/2 weeks old, in our mud room, and I'm still using a light (60W). But now I want to put them outside in my little 3x5 hen house, which is not insulated. We're in NE PA and it's "maybe" in the 30s during the day and sometimes the teens at night. What should I use for heat? Would it be best to start out with a red 250W and work my way down as they adapt? Or would a 100W bulb be sufficient to start with? Also should they be okay with my year-old silkie rooster, or should I remove him first?

Just feeling my way, but everyone has been extremely helpful here with any questions. Thanks for any advice.

 

[Camelot Farms]

Quote:
Ive run mine 24/7 since March 1st. I do however check all of the attachment points every day to make sure that it is secure. I had one come out of its holder in the barn brooder and catch the shavings on fire. Thankfully the shavings were damp and only smouldered.

 

[sunnydelight]

Hi , I guess you are talking about hatchlings? We got our big browns in May. We use a blue flood light in our coop and they are still laying eggs every day. also, they go in and out of the coop as they choose. My husband spreads chopped straw around to keep their feet warm outside. We live in Wisconsin so it's mighty cold. We've got January to go thru yet, that'll be a challenge! The coop is insulated so there's a big difference between inside and out. I was just out there and if I stick my arm in the coop I feel a big difference in temp. Of course, they're all outside and they're very social, if anybody's in the yard they're out. We also have the coop on stilts and keep straw under it so they go under the coop summer and winter. We have a renegade hen who always gets out of the fence and she follows us back in, clucking all the way, like she didn't know how that happened. they are funny. We are retired. I had chickens, ducks, and geese when I was younger. they are pretty tough, the main problem is their feet, we don't want them frozen. they drink alot of water so we have to keep that fresh. They seem happy and are laying large eggs, the first egg was at 16 weeks old. We have 1 rooster and 8 hens, so we get 8 big brown eggs every day. Good luck to you with your brood.

 

[hinkjc]

Leghorn, I'm in the same boat as you in NE PA. I put out 8-12 week old babies with a 250 watt heat lamp in the coop. They have plenty of room to move away from it, but I'd rather them have it during these bitter cold nights to keep stress down. You can gradually lift it higher and then swap it with a 100 watt bulb, but I usually don't worry about that when I grow them out in winter. They'll have next year to learn all about acclimating to our climate.