red brooder light vs infrared light

[Lisa202]

I'm getting my chicks in a few days (omg, I just can't wait) and I'm setting up the brooder and testing the heat lamp....I've read that infrared bulbs don't heat the area, they heat the object?? I'm confused by this. I bought an infrared bulb and have been testing it to get it to 95 and it seems that I have to have the bulb about 7 feet from the bottom of the brooder to obtain this temp. So I figure at this rate, I'll have to have it hanging up in the garage rafters in 2 to 3 weeks to have it down to 80. Could it be that the infrared bulb is concentrating on the thermometer and that it's not really 95 in the brooder. Today it's only about 73, so it's not like the outside temp is adding to the heat. Should I just buy a regular red heat bulb?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Is your brooder inside? If it is, just use a 100 watt light bulb. I always brood mine inside and I've never had to use a regular heat lamp bulb.

ETA: You want it to be 95* directly under the light and cooler away from it. So move your thermometer to see what the temp is in other parts of the brooder.

 

[Lisa202]

It's in my garage (doors open so far). The brooder is quite large (4'x40") so there is a lot of cooler area. If I use 100 watt, what happens when it gets down to 45 at night?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
You can always put a blanket over part of it to keep the heat in when they are real small.

 

[woodmort]

One reason for using the red brooder light is so the chicks cannot see any blood on their flockmates. If they do, they will start picking at it. With a brooder area that large, hang the light on one side and give the chicks the option of being under it or moving to a cooler area. They'll tell you immediately if they're uncomfortable by voice and position in the brooder--if they're peeping loudly then they're uncomfortable and if they're huddled either under or away from the lamp they're either to cold or too warm. Chicks at the right temperature will peep happily and be all over the brooder. You almost don't need a thermometer.