How many watts?

[claudicles]

Hi All,

Newbie here. About to get my first chicks hopefully this Saturday. I have an old dog crate set up for them. It is pretty big, about 40" by 30", and lined with carboard to keep the chicks and heat in. What wattage of bulb will I need to heat it? It will be in an indoor room where the temp sits about 75.

Another question: I am planning to get 4 chickens. I know they are social animals and I am interested to hear what people feel is a good flock size. I am defnitiely getting the idea here that most people feel that more is better for themselves

but what is a good flock size for chicken interaction? How few is too few and how many is too many to keep together?

Thanks in advance.

Liz

 

[allpeepedout]

If your room is that warm, I wonder if you could get by with 100W? I did fine with 125W in a room in the 50s. Get a cheap thermometer and test. I and some others think that many chicks are overheated at 95 degrees+, especially when they are too tiny to have the smarts to move away from the light.

I originally wanted only 3 or 4 and was "pressured" by experienced chicken people to get more. In addition to normal losses, one issue is how hard it is to introduce more new ones later, and they are flock animals, so I speculate that having a group approximating a normal social unit of 8-12 [?] may make them happy. I got seven and wish I had eight, as one was a roo. Yet there is the expense, the cleaning, the time invested if you want to socialize them, etc.

It has been great fun. Good luck.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Cardboard may be too slippery for the new chicks. You'll be buying pine shavings no doubt in the future so just go ahead and pick up a 3.5 cubic ft compressed bale for your brooder flooring and coop later. Or pull out your old towels/ work T-shirts and line floor with one and wash as needed.

Last year we had the chicks in a dog kennel in a back unheated room with a 75W bulb. They did fine. If you are using a drywall clamp light, or something you can raise and lower that wont fall over, you can adjust the light as the chicks need it. If they huddle under the light it could be lowered or more watts to bulb. If they stay away from it raise it up as it's too hot for them.

We started with 6 chicks last year, lost some throughout summer to predators when free ranging. It can happen when you least expect it and I do like to watch them play in the grass. So a few more than you need for eggs is wise so you'll end with enough hens or eggs to sell. It can be a little stressfull on you finding new right sized and type of pullets to add later if you have loss.

Sold a few hens this spring and down to 4. It's all we need for eggs and they get along great. Chickens being social animals you should always keep minimum of 3 as that makes a society, 2 is merely a pair

 

[chickiepie]

I agree to get a thermometer and test it before you get the chicks home. If it is an enclosed-type crate it will really hold in the heat, I think. I have mine in a plastic bin right now til I rig up something bigger. We keep our house at 65-ish, and I was able to use only a 60 watt bulb to keep it between 90-95. Even then, they were not hanging out under the light too much. I have since switched to a 40 watt and the temp is between 80-85. Just check it before they come so you don't have to worry about the temperature being wrong. Enjoy your chicks!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Overheating is always the greater threat. Having them within a 75 degree home, it doesn't take much to raise a small area to 90. Chicks also need cool off areas, away from the heat, in order to regulate themselves. Make sure you don't heat the entire box to 90 degree temperatures. You may initially feel your 30"x40" crate is enormous, but within three weeks, it will be very, very small. Chicks grow fast and fly and jump about. Do you have their grow out area ready to go?

 

[swatskee]

our brooder is 2' x 4' x 18"H and and we have a 125w bulb about 18" (ish) about the ground and it's around 95 - 100 degrees. It is over 1 side of the brooder and the food / water is on the other side. Room temp is about 65 degree. They have plenty of room to get out of the heat if they need.

 

[claudicles]

Thank you. I have bought a 100 watt and I am doing a temperature test now and it doesn't seem to be heating up enough. I'll leave it a while. It sounds like it will work based on what you guys say. I have it just over the crate. BTW, no heating of the house involved. I am in Sydney and my house is often this temperature.

Sorry, I wasn't accurate enough in my description. It is a wire crate. I have cardboard around the sides over the wire. There is a metal tray in the bottom and I'm planning to put pine shavings in the bottom and maybe mix in shredded paper and see if that works. I have lots of confidential waste and a shredder

Hmm, I may have to rethink my stocking. I got the impression that if I got a few then introduced more later, as long as I introduced more than one at a time, the pecking order stuff would usually work itself out. Is it really hard to introduce younger chickens to an established flock?

Fred's hens, I have my coop set up. It needs a bit of final work but I figured I'd have time to do that. I can get heat out to it if I have to. How big a grow out area would you suggest?

 

[hennyannie]

I agree that in that room you will need low wattage to raise the temp. As far as number of chickens is concerned you are right alot of us have lost count, I think I have 35 1 and 2 year olds and 27 chicks. My favorite group was 14 strong and the best layers that I have had to date.

 

[swatskee]

Quote:
You can buy 125w brooding bulbs at Lowes for $5.00 BTW. There is a difference from a traditional 100w bulb and a flood brooding light in that a flood light type bulb directs the light out vs a tracitional bulb has heat losses from all sifes... keep this in mid for your set up. I bet if you get the flood brooder bulb it will be fine.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
I am very glad you have cooler areas for the chicks. That's great. 95-100 is too hot though. By week 3, they won't like any hotter than 80.