How much light?

[Amatsukaze]

Howdy folks!

I am fixing to move my chics into an expander brooder which is in an unfinished portion of my basement. Unfortunately that part of the basement also gets no natural light. I plan on putting in 2 heat lamps & wonder if that is sufficient lighting or should I supplement it with conventional light bulbs?
My thought is to put the conventional bulb on a timer so it is on only during daylight hours.

My 2nd question is this. Basements being what they are the chics will have occasion to have some sport with the odd spider. Should I add some grit to their feed just in case?

Many thanks!

 

[Judy]

Baby chick feed supposedly contains grit. I wouldn't add grit to their feed in any case. You could just provide a little snad on the side, or you could purchase baby chick grit.

A light bulb intended for plant growth would provide light that is closer to natural light. If you don't want this expense, a regular light bulb on a timer would be a good idea. I'd use incandescent rather than fluorescent if possible.