What kind of heat lamp bulb should I use to raise baby chicks?

[Sophia5]

I'm thinking of getting a incubator to raise my own batch of chicks up but I would have to get a heat lamp to do that, and I was wondering what kind of bulb I should use...

 

[cypressdrake]

I use a 250 watt red heat bulb. You can find these at most any feed store. The chicks go under it and warm up, and then when they're too hot, they move away.

 

[chicken pickin]

What kind of incubator are you planning to get?

And for brooding I also use a 250watt red bulb to keep them warm. You can buy them at any feed store.

 

[write2caroline]

I use two sizes I start with a red 250 watt and then use a 100 watt later when they are older. I vary the height of the light above the chicks. I observe their behavior whether they are far apart bunched together and peeping loudly. I keep adjusting the height until they are happy.

I read that the red bulb will prevent them from picking on each other. They do not like the dark so I was considering a ceramic heat lamp but they do fuss when they cannot see so I just prefer the red lamp.

Caroline

 

[ampho]

I used a ceramic (non-light) heat lamp which I had from our lab puppies, For the first week we kept a light on them at night in addition but started turning it off at bedtime (first time accidentally!) and they settled down to darkness pretty quickly so they have had "bedtime" darkness ever since (3 weeks old now). I think the good thing about this is that they won't be freaked out when they go out to the coop (soon!) and have dark nights.

 

[RonC]

I used a white heat lamp and had no problems when they were small. My brooder was a little bigger per chick than some that I have seen people use so that may have helped. First week they were home I used an old heating pad and a candy box nest (see pics on my profile page)to give them a spot to warm up in. A ceramic heater that screws into a light socket would also work. The light from the heatlamp was annoying to me more so than to the chicks. At three weeks they stayed away from it so I turned it off. They were indoors with an inside temperature of about 65 degrees and did fine. By four weeks they were outgrowing their once too big brooder and went outside with low temps near 50 degrees. All survived with no problems. You don't want to heat the whole brooder, just a small area in it.