How many heat lamps?

[ChickGirl6]

Ok. so how many heat lamps do you need for 25 to 35 chicks? I'm getting some chicks and don't want them to get cold!

 

[luvzmychickens]

well it mostly depends on the size of the container your useing to put them in, i used one of those plastic boxes for storage, for my 6 chicks I only used one reptile lamp. so you could base it upon that and estimate how many boxs could fit in were your puttin' the chicks, and but one lamp per box. hope that helps!!! and good luck

 

[CrazyMomOf2]

It also will depend on where they will be. My 48 are in my basement, where it is much colder than the rest of my house (but the only place I could fit them!). I had them in two dog crates facing each other with cardboard around the entire thing. I had to use 3 250 watt heat lamps to keep them comfy!

 

[ChickGirl6]

I'm putting them in a stock tank that is 2' deep by 5' 10" long by 2' 5" wide, it will be in the old hog house and can be heated.

 

[felidaet]

Is it a metal tank? I used one of these last year in my garage and had a difficult time heating it. My garage which is insulated, built into the house, and is heated a little from the furnace and gas water heater. We did not open the garage door for about the first three weeks. I still had to use (2) 250 watt heat lamps for a few weeks. This year I am building a wood brooder. I am hoping I will be able to get by with one heat lamp. I will finish building it on Sat and then I will test it for a couple of days. I will be getting my chicks in a couple of weeks.

I suggest that you start with one and test it. Set it up with the bedding, paper towels, waterer, etc. - just like it will be when you have the chicks. Turn the heat lamp on for at least a few hours and watch the temperature. I ran this test last year and found I needed to add a second lamp. If you test without the bedding and other stuff you may not get accurate temperatures (in a metal tub the bottom can heat up quickly without a couple of inches of bedding).

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I always use two and size them accordingly. This is because I brood my chicks in an open bay of my unheated workshop and at this time of year we can get below freezing temps at night. Never know when one bulb may blow out so I use two. Right now my chicks are a month old so I only have two 100-watt bulbs inside the hover. This weekend I'll probably swap them out for a pair of sixties. Back when we first brought them home I had a 250 and a 125. After two weeks I had it down to a pair of 125s.

I'm seriously considering trying to find a rheostat (dimmer switch) that can handle the wattage and going that way so I don't have to keep fooling with changing bulbs.

.....Alan.

 

[Uzuri]

You only really *need* one, but it's always wise to have multiples around and on whether you need them or not. Light bulbs have a way of blowing out two second after you go to sleep on the coldest night of the season.

Other than that, I'm with felidaet -- whatever you do, test it before hand. Then you'll know for sure what will get you the temp you want.