How Close Is Your Light?

[enggass]

I just got a 250w Red Heat Bulb from TSC. I am getting my brooder ready for chick arrival.
I have set the lamp at about 18" and the temp is having trouble reaching 80 degrees.
How close do I need it? How close do you all have yours.
This is in a basement that is about 55-60 degrees.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I have mine set right about the same 18 inches and they all do fine with that. At three weeks I set it up to 25 inches and never a problem. I don't use the thermometer anymore. I just know now after having so many batches how close it needs to be. Never had one die yet

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Oh and by the way...one thing I learned is buy two of the heat bulbs and two of the silver domes, you just never know!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Lower the light until the temp. is about 95 degrees & make sure there is plenty of room for the little ones to move away from the heat if they get too warm.

 

[stevin]

sorry to jump in.....
i've set-up my brooder and i'm having the exact same issue.
directly below the 250w lamp which is roughly 24" off the floor, the temp is 95-100F.
but off to the sides away from the light i'm only getting 75F.
now aslong as it's warm enough under the light should i be OK?
should the cooler spots of the brooder be at a certain temp also.
it's a 4ft x 9ft cardboard brooder but i have it partioned in half, so roughly 4ft x 4.5ft.
my basement temp is like enggass's basement, 55-60F... it would make a nice wine cellar
i apologize for hi-jackin your thread enggass.

 

[enggass]

That should be fine, as the birds can move away as needed.

MY problem is that I cannot even get the temp past 82 degrees at about 18" DIRECTLY above.
What is the temp in your room? How much would this have an effect on my situation?
Thanks,
Steve

EDIT: Just checked again... got the temp to about 96 degrees by lowering the lamp to about 12+/- inches and covering part of the brooder.
I'm ready!

 

[stevin]

ah sweet!!!!
i had realized that the temp reading i got during the test trials were false readings.
the bottom of my cardboard brooder is lined w/a black plastic sheet to help contain any accidental spillage.
the black plastic is conducting heat which in return was giving me a false reading of 95-100F.
i now just put down the pine shavings and the temp dropped to 85F.
at 24" above the floor i may have to lower the lamp a few more inches.
i'm just a lil paranoid about having the lamp too close to the wood shavings & cardboard.

 

[fastpat]

Quote:
Where are you measuring the temperature and with what? I just measured today and have a temp of 88ºF behind the light, in the brooder room which has an ambient temp of about 80.

 

[underground chickenman]

Eighteen inches should be close enough almost no matter what the room temp is, unless the brooder has too much exposure to the room air. Either too big of an opening up top or the sides are too low. I would wrap the sides of the brooder in a blanket and cover part of the top before lowering the bulb any closer.

IMPORTANT: Make your adjustments slowly and allow time for the temp to stabilize before checking it and adjusting again. In other words, don't go from 18 inches to 10 inches in one move. It might be that one more inch lower will give you the temp you need...in a half hour or so.

UGCM

 

[Kiwibird]

Stevin, your bedding will warm up and the temps will change again.

Over here we tend to use 40 watt bulbs and start with them just clear of the chicks' heads, then raise them up bit by bit. Just keep an eye out for when they start jumping - that is when the lights need to be high!