Near catastrophe....PLEASE learn from my mistake

[Luvducks]

I am glad you caught this in time and everything is okay. I only have 5 chicks so the 250 watt bulb I bought seemed a bit much so I put a 100 watter in. It is just closer to the brooder. Scary story!

 

[ctychix]

I'm so glad I read this thread, I just was setting up the brooder for chicks that shipped today. I will reinforce the clamp with a chain. What type of bulb should I use? I don't have the red 250 but a 150 called a heat lamp, is that ok?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
I changed my bulb out to a standard 100watt white bulb and the lamp is approx 20" above my babies. Based on my experience yesterday I would stay away from anything call "heat lamp" unless you can't get it warm enough. Best of luck!!!

 

[Shared Acres]

Glad it worked out!

 

[Redhead Hen]

I don't use the "heat lamps" in the brooder either. I have one from when I had geckos and it had it's own setup for safety on the gecko tank. But I did not trust it with the brooder since it was a plastic tote.

I just use a 100 watt bulb. My babies are in a plastic tote. I have the lamp set up on tiles on a screen - away from the sides of the plastic tote. There is enough room for them to either be under the light or away from it if they get too hot. Last time we had a brooder, my husband hung the light from above.

It is always good to stick around for a few hours to make sure things are safe and the babies are okay! Good thing you were home! God was watching out for you and your babies!!

 

[ctychix]

Thanks for sharing your experience, I just changed my bulb to a 100W no "Heat" rating. I plan to put most of the chicks under a couple of broody hens, they really are the safest. I'm so glad everything turned out ok for you.

 

[mrsgibber]

Oh thank the man upstairs for sending you to check on the chickies when you did!!

I know my husband was super terrified of that red bulb so I replaced it with a 100W bulb and though my temps in the brooder weren't as high as recommended everyone did just fine.

 

[Chickenaddict]

100 watt red flood light works to for pecking issues that could occur too. I use a heat lamp but on top of the clamp i wire it to something sturdy so if the clamp fails the wire won't. Ths scares the you know what out of me so i make sure there is NO possibble way for it to get knocked down. I have a brooder set up in the basement shower stall( shower leaks so its just wasted space) I wired the light to the shower door as well as to a curtain rod in the shower so if the rod slips it is still connected to the door therefor impossible to fall on the wood shavings. Sooo glad you found your babies in time and everything worked out

 

[columbiacritter]

I use red heat lamps BUT they are firmly wired in place and set so even if my absent minded hubby leaves the lid open they can't start a fire. He once set a lit infared bulb to one side as he worked on a lizard tank and before I realized what he'd done the side of the tank literally exploded from the hot bulb pressing againsth the glass. Thankfully no one, even the lizard, was hurt, though my Hubby had to buy anohter expensive custom tank.

The closest I've come to a fire was my cat sleeping in top of the brooder and getting hot enough to start some fur scorching.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

So now I'm confused because I read somewhere that a 250 infrared is the best option because bulbs that emit light can lead to the chicks picking one another.

A 100 watt regular bulb is better?