What age do they outgrow the EcoGlow brooder?

[AlienChick]

For those of you who use the EcoGlow brooder,
how old were your chicks when they "outgrew" the EcoGlow?

 

[Stacykins]

Hmm, you can keep raising it on bricks for older babes. I weaned them off my ecoglow by week four though. They had most of their feathers by then and could regulate their temperature. Then moved them outside a week or two later into the coop. But this is what I did during summer. If it were winter, I'd keep them with heat longer.

Most annoying is when they decide to use the top as a perch and poo on it. Never found out a good cover that stayed on.

 

[Gypsy07]

I think it all depends on what temperatures you are keeping them in. I have 7 chicks outside in a shed, the night time temps here are as low as 50F, they're five weeks old and mostly feathered up but they still scoot under the Ecoglow at night. The last chicks I raised indoors, they were mostly sleeping stretched out on the wood shavings just in front of the Ecoglow by the time they were 3 weeks old.

Because it's so cheap to run, I leave it plugged in probably well past when they're not needing it any more. But I let them figure it out. If I look in at night and see that none of them are under it any more, I'll take it out the next day. And no, there's really nothing you can do to stop them roosting on top of it and pooping it up. Little stinkers!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Raising it up on bricks is an outstanding suggestion.

By six weeks, this time of year, it is essential to begin to wean them off of heating devices. The chicken feathers, as I understand it, according to the temperature around them. Gosh, this has been a horrid hot summer, for sure, but the calendar has turned the page over to September and surely, from my mouth to God's ears, the temps will be falling soon. Mother hen kicks her chicks out of the nest at 5 weeks, as a rule.

This far north, we get the young ones acclimated to cooler temps in fall in preparation for the really cold winter days to come.

 

[Gypsy07]

Well, I still have mine on its lowest setting, and my current batch of chicks are now having difficulty all squeezing in under it. I see it as encouragement to them to stop using it. Brinsea's own advice with it says that as a rule you shouldn't need to raise the heating element from its lowest setting for chicks, and I've gone with that. I think the higher settings are more for other birds like ducklings and goslings, rather than for older and bigger chicks.

Also with an Ecoglow instead of a heatlamp I don't think it's as essential to deliberately wean them off the heat, as they're unheated for 99.9% of the day anyway. They just use it at night. I have three other chicks with a broody; they are now over 6 weeks old and still pile under the broody's wings when they're up on the roost at night.

 

[AlienChick]

Mine are three weeks old now and they still like to huddle underneath the EcoGlow.

They will also spend time during the day on top of it or just in front, but for the most part, they like to sleep underneath.

I raised it to the highest level, and it seems fine (they're not squished).

 

[jmtcmkb]

I am learning with the ecoGlow myself. Mine are almost 3 weeks and seemed to have a hard time getting under and one chick in particular seemed to be pushed out all the time. I know it says "most chicks" will prefer the lowest setting all the time, but I did raise mine this week and the reason I did was I plan on keeping it out in the coop for an extended period. It's cold here and a local chicken expert said just keep it out in the coop for a longer period of time as a place for them to go warm up as desired. Trying to raise it with a screw driver was way too frustrating, so I have it up on a 2"x 4" my husband ripped in half. They seem to like it and now everyone can huddle without anyone being pushed out. I have 5 chicks.

They only use it at night, and only very rarely during the day. The poop on top is a real pain

 

[CupOJoe42]

It probably will depend on the outside temperature, but around 4 weeks, they're starting to wean off of it and usually by 6-8 weeks they are feathered out and no longer in need of the extra warmth. If it's really cold out, they may take advantage of it, but they really are hardier than we give them credit for.

I go by what I see them doing... If you see them huddling together and shivering, they are too cold. If they are spread out and active, they are fine. If they are spread out and panting, they are too hot.


Putting a 2 x 4 under one side is easier than taking it apart. I used a plastic ice scraper to get the poop off the top. Once they were done with it, I gave it a good scrubbing with a scubby pad.

I LOVE my EcoGlow Chick Brooders (I have both sizes!)

 

[GardenState38]

I agree, the EcoGlow is great!
I was using it in the summertime, in my garage, and had them off it before 4 weeks. I did raise it after week 1, however, because raising it is the only way you can control (lower) the amount of heat underneath.
At the lowest setting, it was about 94 degrees under there (I measured with a thermometer)--ok for week 1. At 2, 3 and 4 weeks, they no longer needed it to be that warm, plus, they were getting smushed underneath, as they grew.

The opposite of another poster, I didn't want to discourage them from going underneath it, since they seemed to enjoy it as a "safe place", where they could run if they got frightened or caught a cricket that they didn't want to share.
In fact, I kept it in the brooder even after I had turned it off. They enjoyed roosting on it and nesting underneath.
It did get poopy, but I'd clean it off regularly (which wasn't that hard if you don't allow the poop to cake on and dry too much)-easier to clean than wood...
Raising it further with bricks is an excellent idea! Wish I'd thought of that!

 

[Wednesday]

I am learning with the ecoGlow myself. Mine are almost 3 weeks and seemed to have a hard time getting under and one chick in particular seemed to be pushed out all the time. I know it says "most chicks" will prefer the lowest setting all the time, but I did raise mine this week and the reason I did was I plan on keeping it out in the coop for an extended period. It's cold here and a local chicken expert said just keep it out in the coop for a longer period of time as a place for them to go warm up as desired. Trying to raise it with a screw driver was way too frustrating, so I have it up on a 2"x 4" my husband ripped in half. They seem to like it and now everyone can huddle without anyone being pushed out. I have 5 chicks.


They only use it at night, and only very rarely during the day. The poop on top is a real pain /img/smilies/sickbyc.gif

I know this is an old thread but maybe future owners like myself of the Eco glo could put press and seal wrap on the top to keep it clean and change that out. Does the unit get hot on top that would prevent that?
http://www.glad.com/food-storage/plastic-wrap/press-n-seal/