Heat light questons

[chicknmania]

We have just one chick, and she is in a brooder box with a 250 watt heat light. Actually the brooder box is a plastic tub. So, should we keep the heat light on all night for baby? In the past when we have a mother hen with new chicks, we leave the heat light on for them during the day, but turn it off at night as the chicks go under mama anyway. I am guessing in this case we should leave it on? Also, if no more chicks have hatched by tomorrow, (day 25) we are going to the feed mill to buy a few days old chicks so baby can have some siblings. When that happens, hopefully they will cuddle together so once again should we leave the heat light on all night for all of them? And, how can you tell if the brooder box is too hot or not hot enough? Should we have a thermometer in there and how warm should it be? Baby has spent most of her time today lying on her stuffed lion, but we got her up just now and she walked around a bit, climbed up mama lion, and was pretty active, so I assume she is not too hot, but not totally sure.

 

[aarronh]

Yes, the baby must have heat 24x7. Is the tub in the house? If you're in a draft-free area, you could probably get away with a 65w floodlight (provided you have it close enough that the heat radiates to where the bird can get to it). I hate how hot those 250 watt bulbs get - especially for when it's just a few chicks...

 

[sunshineyarns]

Yep, heat 24/7

I'm a first year chicken mama, but learned alot the past 6 weeks! I would definitely get her some company and they should all be good in there together with the lamp. We put a thermometer about 2" off the ground (leaned against the plastic tub side near the edge of the light path) and started around 95 degrees.. and just slowly raised the lamp each week. Our temps went from about 95/90/85/80/high 70s then they were off. It was about 4 weeks of lamp time. After the first week and a half, we ended up getting more chicks and just started them in with the others... It was about 87 for them to start, but they did fine with the rest. They definitely keep each other warm.

If they all avoid the center of the lamp, its probably too hot... if they are all huddled in the center, too cold.

Hope that helps!

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, the tub's in the house, where it will be for the next couple of weeks, until it warms up enough and they are old enough to go in to the enclosed chick pen in the barn. Then they would still have a heat light, but probably not at night after we go to bed, b/c the fire risk out there is just too great. Thanks for the tip about the flood, but wouldn't that be awfully bright?
Seems like it would hurt their eyes.....

 

[birdstheword]

We are using a 25 watt red bulb. The fee store had the same thing and it is low enough that the chicks could touch it. They never burned themselves and it puts out enough heat that they don't always lie directly under it. It works, and the small wattage saves.

 

[chicknmania]

Quote:
Thank you, I'll get a thermometer tomorrow, or use the one from the incubator if we decide to give up on that. She seems to not be trying to avoid the heat, and my DH says he doesn't think it's too hot. She just cuddles with the stuffed lion, so sad to see her all alone...I hope she does ok with the foster siblings, if she doesn't get any more of her own...

 

[sunshineyarns]

Yeah, we picked up a cheap remote thermometer so we have the sensor in the brooder and it just reads right outside the door. Good luck! I'm just getting ready to maybe move mine outside!! I think it should warm up some next week, and at 6/7 weeks old I am anxious to have my extra bathroom back

 

[chicknmania]

Thanks, Birdstheword, I wish I could find a 25W red bulb! I did ask TSC and the hardware store, neither had anything but the standard heat light. I was looking for the kind you can turn down the heat on...where the heck do you GET those??? I will have to look on line.

 

[chicknmania]

Our last chicks with their mom were hatched in November, and they were out from under the heat light (but still with mom) at 4 or 5 weeks, and out free ranging with the flock at six or seven weeks, and it was December and cold here then . Yours should be fine,sunshineyfarms!

 

[sunshineyarns]

Thanks for that! Yeah, its snowing out right now... I'm going to wait until it warms up early next week and move them on out! The oldest will be 7 weeks next Wednesday... the rest 6 weeks next Wednesday (and 1 younger that will be 4 weeks?!).