Heating Lamp

[aart]

Our chicks are now two months old. Do they still need a heating lamp at night?

Oh, Lord, no...they should have been weaned off heat at about a month old...and you could have integrated them with the flock about then too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

If you only have a small hatch rate, say, about 4-5 little chicks...... can a small regular incandescent bulb work as a heating source?

Absolutely, especially if they are inside a house and/or in a smaller tote-type brooder. Hard to find incandescent, reptile market still has them..and in red.

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[atief1253]

Oh, Lord, no...they should have been weaned off heat at about a month old...and you could have integrated them with the flock about then too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/



Absolutely, especially if they are inside a house and/or in a smaller tote-type brooder. Hard to find incandescent, reptile market still has them..and in red.

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

The heat lamp is gone and I have a feeling they will go in their coop earlier too. Won't the big hens "beat up" the little ones? Remember, there is a big difference. Reminds me of survivor where they have their tribes. One tribe of six and the other trible of eight. And the rooster as referee.

 

[aart]

Won't the big hens "beat up" the little ones?

Did you read the link?
The chicks spend about 3 weeks in the coop before having physical contact with the adults. Tiny chicks are less of a 'threat' to the adults, plus they are small and fast moving targets(hard to hit-haha!)...and the chicks can retreat to their safety zone where their food and water are.

 

[atief1253]

Did you read the link?
The chicks spend about 3 weeks in the coop before having physical contact with the adults. Tiny chicks are less of a 'threat' to the adults, plus they are small and fast moving targets(hard to hit-haha!)...and the chicks can retreat to their safety zone where their food and water are.

yes, that was a good article. thanks.