What kind of lamp do I use to warm my chicks?

[zeldaslullaby]

Hello! I recently got some little baby chicks for my birthday (Ive never raised chicks before) and I have a question really quick. I have my chicks in my room in a big clear storage container. (I drilled lots of holes in the lid for when I need to cover them up). I have the woods chips and all that but I dont really know what to do to warm them. Till now I've just been keeping my room real warm. But my question is do I need a special kind of heat lamp, or could I just buy one of those lamps with the bendy neck and point it over their box? Would that work?
Or do I even need a lamp? My parents are the ones who told me that they need a lamp to keep warm.

 

[zeldaslullaby]

Oh and also if I do need a heat lamp, what kind is best?

 

[Araucana16]

I don't know what's best, but I get reptile infared lights.

They are always on hand since I have two bearded dragons.

Yes, you definitely need a lamp! Just get either a brooder lamp or a reptile heat lamp.

And do you have proper food/water dishes? What type of chicks do you have, and how many?

 

[Araucana16]

Also, I would (while you are getting the lamp) see if you can get a screen to put over the top of the container so they can have proper ventilation.

If you can't, please keep the lid off and the lamp hung properly - otherwise it could fall and set the brooder on fire, or trap a baby chick under the lamp, burning it to death.

Do you have plans for when they are older, and do you have feed?

 

[zeldaslullaby]

Hi there. I rarely put the lid on and when I do I only put it on halfway because even though theres holes, I still worry lol. But since they're in my room I usually just close the door if I have to go somewhere.
Yes, I'll probably put it at an angle so its not directly on top of them in case it does fall.
I bought feed, yeah. lol
My backyard is big enough for a coop so I plan on putting them in one of those when they get bigger!

 

[Araucana16]

Okay, that's good!

So are you going to get a lamp soon? I recommend either having a screen over the top (what I do), chicken wire (what most feed stores do), a clamp, or a chain.

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them, and I'd love pics.

 

[zeldaslullaby]

(not sure if I'm doing this right or not, if not this is intended to be a reply to Araucana16)
Okay, I'll look into the reptile lights I guess. So youre sure I cant just use a normal lamp? I hate to be stubborn but I read that brooder lamps and heat lamps can cause fires. :\
Yeah I have proper food and water. I sprinkle the food in a corner and I bit throughout the wood shaving things and I bought a water thing called a poultry drinker, it works great! lol
I'm not sure what types they are, but Im pretty sure one is a silky. I have seven chicks in all, and theres two golden brown ones, two yellow ones, and 2 dark brown ones with white and light brown stripes. They're so cute!

 

[zeldaslullaby]

I plan on getting a lamp tomorrow, hopefully. Until then I hope a regular lamp will do
Do you mean put the screen over the box I have now? I guess I could. I guess I'll buy that as well as a lamp tomorrw then lol.
This site has been so much help for me! Its great!
I cant get a good picture, they're walking around right now and every picture is blurry lol.

Also one quick question: Is it hard to make your own coop? I just looked it up and they're so expensive to buy!

 

[Araucana16]

Yes, they can cause fires if you don't set them up improperly.

You cannot just use a normal lamp. It will provide no warmth, and the babies will die. For one night, it might be okay, but keep a close watch on them. What I do to keep the lamp from setting fire to stuff is I keep a screen over the cage.

As for building a coop, yes, it is pricey. But not as much as buying one. A run for that many is maybe $100-150, and the actual coop can be over $200. And it's not very hard. As long as you can nail boards to stuff....

If you want the breeds, you can post the pictures in the breeds forum.

 

[sanchabird]

Hi, raising chickens is a ton of fun! If you go to your local feed store, they will know what you need. But if they don't, you will need the actual metal lamp and an infrared light bulb. You should keep the temp at 90 degrees for the first week and decrease by 5 degrees each week. You can use a thermometer or watch them. If they are huddling very close under the lamp, you should move it closer to them.. If they are sitting on the far outside of the storage container, you should raise it up. But if they are just walking around, you should leave the heat lamp where it is. If you have any questions PM me! Good luck with your babies!