Red Heat Lamp Too Hot?

[MissJames]

I'm Playing around with the brooder before the chicks get here this week.I have a red heat lamp,and even though it's about 2feet above the brooder, the area it's pointed at get's over 100 degrees.
I can move it up,but would it be better to get a lower wattage white light? I got the red because of the pecking issue.
Whoever said keeping chickens was simple? !

 

[miss_jayne]

the heat lamps (red or white) can be way too hot.

they have lower wattage heat bulbs at the pet store in the reptile dept.

i had one white heat lamp bulb over 5 feet from the brooder and the whole room was too hot!

also, a 75 watt regular bulb can do wonders.

 

[gritsar]

Raise it up to get the temp. down. The red light is better than the white when it comes to preventing pecking issues.
ETA: What miss_jayne said is true also. If you look real hard you can sometimes find the 75 watt bulbs in red. Pet stores usually carry them in the aquarium or reptile section.

 

[shelleyb1969]

I use a 60 watt reptile bulb in my brooder in the house. None of my chicks have ever stayed underneath it due to being cold. I just start raising it up higher a little each week. But when they go to the brooder in my garage, I do put a 75 watt actual heat lamp on them. I've never had pecking issues with any of mine.

Edited to add the name of the reptile bulb is Daylight Blue by ZooMed. Or you can get a Flukers brand daytime bulb as well. I don't know if it makes a difference or not with chicks, but the reptile bulbs are full spectrum (emit both uva and uvb light, similar to the sun).

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

I used a 100 watt red floodlight in the brooder - both the IR and the white 250's were WAY too hot. Now I have a 50W IR in the coop. I only have it on for 1 or 2 half hour intervals throughout the night - not at all when the temp stays above 40.

I got the red flood at Home Depot.

 

[TheNewMrsEvans]

I usually use a regular 75W bulb in the day and a heating pad under one side of the box at night...i was thinking of trying one of those radiant reptile warmer things...like this: http://www.petco.com/product/5003/Zoo-Med-Repticare-Ceramic-Infrared-Heat-Emitters.aspx
is that the ir thing you were reffering to? is it good to use?

 

[MissJames]

Quote:
Thank you Miss Jayne. Great Idea! I'll try PetSmart tomorrow.
Don't want to cook my chickies
I feel like such a pest,but even the books and articles tell you different things.I like coming straight to the experts!
Thanks for putting up with me

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
Thank you Miss Jayne. Great Idea! I'll try PetSmart tomorrow.
Don't want to cook my chickies
I feel like such a pest,but even the books and articles tell you different things.I like coming straight to the experts!
Thanks for putting up with me

a. you are not pestering anyone, we learn by others questions
b. books and articles aren't always real life
c. no one is an expert with all the answers here, but we all will try to help

and d...the most important of them all..don't cook the chickies now, they are just nuggets!