Question and thoughts about heat lamps

[Maev]

i'm supposed to get my babies tomorrow. i seem to be behind the curve. am i supposed to create some kind of 'night' effect? i was going to leave the light on around the clock to maintain the temp.

You need to have heat for them 24 hours a day. Mine do fine sleeping under the lights. It doesn't seem to bother them at all.

 

[JerseyHen]

where did u get the ceramic bulb?

I got mine on amazon (http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...=aps&hvadid=6190031111&ref=pd_sl_78r4qjbwlh_e). You have to be sure you have a lamp with the correct housing (porcelin, if I remember correctly). They are pretty sturdy bulbs and don't shatter easily. They also seem to last forever. They are more expensive than the usual red light.They don't heat over great distances so they are best used in a shallower brooder. I used the chicks as a thermostat. Huddled together in a pile under the light, too cold/high, scattered on the outside of the brooder, too hot/low, evenly spread under the light area, eating, drinking, playing, just right. Oh, and don't forget that just because there is not light that bulb is several hundred degrees (so is the housing).

I have used the red bulbs without issue as well. They seemed to sleep ok with it. I use the red bulb when I put them into the big brooder (8x3 ft). One end hot the other end really cool. The babies can find their own comfort zone that way.

 

[crystal195655]

I use the 250 watt red heat lamp, I have checked in on my chicks at night and they are usually sleeping....so it doesn't seem to bother them to have the light on. Sometimes they sleep during the day also, jus tlike most babies....animal/human alike. I think whatever gives the warmth needed should be fine.