two brooders, one heat lamp

[RAWR]

well, now what. the title pretty much says it.
we have to brooders full of silkies. one brooder is full of chicks that are 3 wks old, the other full of 6 day olds.
what do we do?

 

[NoseyChickens]

get another heat lamp.

 

[BarredBuff]

Quote:
What NoseyChickens says is true.

 

[happyhensny]

Maybe cover the tops of them to hold in heat, put the light over the middle of both or go to TSC and buy another light. A few weeks ago I had 5 brooders going.

 

[RAWR]

there are no more. were out of money and everything

 

[Quailfamah]

use a desk lamp and 100 watt light bulb

 

[RAWR]

Quote:
we were, but it has a short

 

[Klorinth]

Give the 3 wk olds a hover to keep warm in.
Basically you can simulate the warm blanket effect of a hen.

Put something in the brooder at one end that gives them something insulated to walk under and keep warm using each others body heat. If you feed them well and give them a little hover they can do fairly well without the heat lamp. A box within a box with a bit of insulation between the two might be enough. Cheap and easy. Even cheap popcorn can be a good insulation for a couple of weeks.

 

[Prospector]

I understand you don't have the $$$$ for another lamp. I am guessing you can afford $2 for a plastic builder's lampholder rated for a 60 watt bulb. Attach it to a scrap of plywood.

Take the cord from the desk lamp that shorted out, and use it as the cord for the lampholder.

Put a 60 W bulb in it, and hang it over the pen. Voila. Heatlamp on the cheap. If totally necessary, you can use a tinfoil pie pan as a reflector, just be sure it isn't touching the lampholder or wires.

 

[fiddleblue]

I suggest not getting chickens at all if you can't afford $10 for a heat lamp and holder. Plan ahead about the costs of what you're getting into so you can see if you can really commit to it, especially when lives are at stake.