*resolved* Thanks everyone!

[Shikens!]

Quote:
Assuming the coop and run is away from the house, will he let you use a heat lamp out there? You don't have to keep the chicks in the house. You could make the coop the brooder.

OMG, you guys are going to have a field day with this... The plan from the start has been to brood them in the hen house!

 

[rhs7111]

To make things safer, we use a framed metal screen (e.g. an old window screen or a square of fine gauge wire) as a cover for the brooder (our brooders are large tupperware bins). I clip the heat lamp to the arm or seat of a wooden (non-fabric) chair placed next to the brooder, and make the safety cage (the four sided wire protector that goes over the bulb in a heat lamp unit) rest on the wire cover. That way, even if the clip lets go, the heat lamp will not fall to the ground (or worse, into the brooder) and the metal wire is fireproof. We've done this for years and never, ever had a problem. But, do make sure you get a heat lamp unit with the safety cage for over the bulb. You need a heat lamp and chicks need to be in the house or heated garage at this age, so try this method.

Also, the 250 watt heat lamp needs to be about 18 inches from the bottom of the tupperware bin/brooder.

edited 'cause I cannot type worth beans!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

If you keep them inside, you can use a heating pad. The trick is to get one that does not have auto shut-off and cover the heating pad with a towel. Keep it on Low, or Medium if they seem cold with it on Low (bunching together and peeping). Make sure they have a place where they can escape the heating pad if they get too hot. I have the heating pad on about half of my brooder.

I've raised many, many a chick using heating pads. I actually prefer them to the heat lamps.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Shikens! :

Quote:
Assuming the coop and run is away from the house, will he let you use a heat lamp out there? You don't have to keep the chicks in the house. You could make the coop the brooder.

OMG, you guys are going to have a field day with this... The plan from the start has been to brood them in the hen house!

I am so happy that an Ecoglow would work for you! Go for whatever he will say yes to- they do need the heat.

 

[Shikens!]

I guess I will prepare a "speech" for when he returns to our pile of kindling... aka house. Maybe I can convince him? Maybe he was just in a bad mood? I'll have the ecoglow in my online shopping cart ready to hit "send order" if the answer is still NO. LOL!

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Put an ad on CL and sell him and use the money to buy an EcoGlow and more chicks!! The chickies won't tell you no!!!!!

 

[AZSummer]

Shikens! :

OMG, you guys are going to have a field day with this... The plan from the start has been to brood them in the hen house!

Sorry. I didn't understand that.​

 

[Shikens!]

Quote:
Sorry. I didn't understand that.

Wowza I was trying to be humorous and lighten the mood in this thread.

eta- Oh, you edited your post.

 

[featherz]

If no regular lightbulb is OK, then your only really viable choice is an ecoglow. Completely safe (you can put your hand right on the heating element). And yes, it costs $70, but it hardly uses any electricity, so point out you are saving money that way.

I am so glad my hubby is tolerant of all my expenditures. LOL.

 

[ailurophile23]

Shikens! - if it is somewhat warm where you are, I agree with GiddyMoon - you may be able to get away with no heat lamp - just a regular bulb for a little extra heat. I got my chicks last June and they went straight into the coop - I used a low wattage red bulb (not heat lamp bulb) with a reflector for a little added heat but mostly they were in the enclosed coop with a cardboard "pen" to keep them in a smaller area and they were on a thick bed of shavings. I quickly got to using the light just at night because the days were so warm and the chicks grow quickly. And the reflector may not have even been neessary - it just directed the heat downwards but the chicks were rarely right under it. And my electrician husband just made sure the bulb and reflector were not only clamped onto a beam but also hooked over some nails and then the cord was wrapped around a beam as well, all to prevent it from falling into the wood shavings.

Good luck with this - I'm sure you know best whether to keep arguing or let it go for a while.