HELP! I can't get the temperature of my brooder above 78 degrees!

[ranchhand]

I put a thick layer of newspapers UNDER the cage- then I can pull the top sheet out from under as they soil it. Pardon the joke, but it's "killing 2 birds with 1 stone" type thinking.....

 

[kitchwitch]

I have a lot of pine bedding down, and i'm going to put some more down if the temp doesn't rise anymore.

As of 2:57 the temp under the lamp is a balmy 84°
I just put a fleece sheet under the brooder to keep it off the ground and in 30 minutes I'll go check the temperature again.

again, thank you all so much!

 

[birdbrain2]

my basement is at a constant 60 degree's too. i am using a 250 watt red light and was using a dog crate for the first week. i had put some hard foam around the cage but nothing up top. i am using a $3 round white plastic outdoor thermometer. make sure you put it right under the light. you may have to move your light up or down to get right temp. if you end up getting a thermometer like mine make sure it is propped up on something to get air flow behind it, if you lay it flat it will read hotter than it actually is. when i first turned my light on it shot up to 120 degrees, so unless you have a faulty thermomerter your light is bad.

you will be needing a larger brooder soon i spent $30 at home depot and found an old window to make larger brooder. i put a guillotine door so i can connect old brooder to the new one when more space is needed.

 

[kitchwitch]

Update: we're at 92°!
Thanks everyone so much for your help!

birdbrain2: 5 minutes ago I would have said: no worries, I have a nice big box for when they get bigger (DBF having bought a massive TV not that long ago).

But then I went downstairs to check the temperature and discovered that DBF in his attempt to help me out had cut up the box to lay it on top of the crate to keep the heat in.

So thanks for the home depot tip! lol!

 

[PortageGirl]

also, pine shavings aren't the best for a week or so, but I suggest leaving them, and putting down some cardboard and then paper towels for now. Paper towels spread flat gives them better footing for now, but the shavings and cardboard will add insulation as you say. They need real good flat footing for now so they don't get spraddle legged or pull something else by stumbling around in shavings yet. You could add another light with just another 100w bulb to bring up the temp if need be, making sure nothing even remotely flamable comes near either of the bulbs! Honestly, you'll do fine!!