Light on timer?

[rrector2005]

Hello everyone, I am new to the chicken community. I purchased 10- 3 week old Barred Rocks yesterday here locally. I am currently brooding them in a spare room of my home using a heat lamp(250w). I just ordered a EcoGlo heater to get away from using a heat lamp 24/7. My question is, do I need to buy a red light bulb (non heat) and put it on a timer for my chicks? The room stays fairly dark trough out the day. Also, any other advice will be helpful.
Thanks in advance!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickens as well as all birds other than hoot owls need light. I would give my young birds 12 hours of full spectrum light per day.

 

[collingwood]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[FoxHead]

A 250 watt bulb will create a lot of heat indoors. They can move away from it if it were uncomfortable hot, so a 125 watt would be just as useful. Drastic temp changes can be stressful. The red bulb creates just as much heat obviously, but is easier on their eyes. If you heat the room, any light should be fine. The lights in my coop are on from early am to just before dark. The natural light tells them its time to roost as the sun goes down. That way they aren't left in the pitch dark from a timer switching off. Hope this helps!

 

[aart]

Hello everyone, I am new to the chicken community. I purchased 10- 3 week old Barred Rocks yesterday here locally. I am currently brooding them in a spare room of my home using a heat lamp(250w). I just ordered a EcoGlo heater to get away from using a heat lamp 24/7. My question is, do I need to buy a red light bulb (non heat) and put it on a timer for my chicks? The room stays fairly dark trough out the day. Also, any other advice will be helpful.
Thanks in advance!

You'll love the heat plate, so much quieter at night after they settle down.
They do need light as george mentions.....
You might want to turn it off before sundown so they settle down to sleep with the natural sunset, that's what I did and it worked well. Left the white light on most the day then shut if off before sunset.

Chickens as well as all birds other than hoot owls need light. I would give my young birds 12 hours of full spectrum light per day.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Yep, they need light during the day. You can turn the light off at night if you want. Personally I keep mine lit up the whole time they're in the brooder but I don't mind them eating 24/7 the first several weeks of their lives.

 

[AKfishchic]

Aart and rrector2005- how do you like the Eco Glo heater? I am considering one for my brooder as well. Lower wattage saves on electric bill, especially since I'm off grid in AK and we use a generator!

 

[rrector2005]

Thank you all for your thoughts and advice. Got the EcoGlo today. So far, the girls are still just staring at it. Two of the bigger ones went around it while the others watched. Hopefully it was a good investment. I will let you know how they adapt to it.
Thanks

 

[aart]

Thank you all for your thoughts and advice. Got the EcoGlo today. So far, the girls are still just staring at it. Two of the bigger ones went around it while the others watched. Hopefully it was a good investment. I will let you know how they adapt to it.
Thanks

When I switched from light to plate, they needed a little training.
I shoved them under the plate and kind of held them there, they struggled for just about 10 seconds until they felt the warmth, then they relaxed and 'got it'.

 

[rrector2005]

When I switched from light to plate, they needed a little training.
I shoved them under the plate and kind of held them there, they struggled for just about 10 seconds until they felt the warmth, then they relaxed and 'got it'.

I just went to check on them and a couple are under the plate and the rest are laying right outside of it. I'm a little paranoid being new to all of this. The room they are in has an ambient temp of 70. I just don't want them to get too cold. The are just 3 1/2 weeks old.