I'm going to be raising new baby chicks this spring and I want to get a new brooder lamp. I guess I'm getting paranoid but I worry about fire hazzards. Our coop is small, 6x4, and is 5'3" tall (big enough for me to stand up in, almost). We will use pine shavings. What is the best lamp/reflector out there? I have the generic ones already, but maybe there is something better? What do you use? Pictures anyone? Thanks, as always! Ma
Haven't noticed any difference. I have one from Farm and Fleet, one from Orcheln's, and 2 from walmart. So long as they say they will run a really high watt bulb (usually 250) safely they should be fine. For all that everyone worries about fire take a look at how many people on here use heat lamps and how many posts there are on fires... I would guess more than half for the first one and as far as I've seen 0 for the 2nd.
You want to make sure the reflectors you buy have ceramic where the bulb screws in. The other type is more likely to catch fire when used with a heat lamp. You also want to make sure your reflectors have the wire thing that keeps the bulb from touching anything. I've used reflectors from WalMart, the co-op, Home Depot, they're basically all the same. I found some heat lamp bulbs at TSC last night that have a non-stick base to stop the base from breaking off and getting stuck when you want to replace the bulb. They were a bit more expensive though.
If you are brooding in the spring and your brooder isn't too big, you could get away with an ordinary incandescent bulb. Put it in a metal reflector, with ceramic base, and hang it from something, rather than a clip on. I can't imagine how you could start a fire with that! Try starting with a 75 watt and move down the wattage, raise bulb as they grow older. Mount a thermometer, of course.
I suggest rigging up 2 ways to "hang" the light so in case one thing doesnt work you have a back up to catch the light before it reaches anything flammable.
I use regular light bulbs with a clamp light in some situations and my brooder boxes are made of plywood and are wired with a light socket and we use a regular light bulb with the lid shut it keeps it cosy. It has air vents with mesh wire about two feet up in the box.
