What size light bulb for heat source for newly hatched chicks?

[Hennypen]

They're due on Wed.

Thanks

 

[Katy]

Depends on what kind of brooder you're setting up for them. The temp needs to be 90/95 for the first week or so. Mine always act like they're too hot at 95 so I rarely have it that warm.

 

[Hennypen]

It's a wire animal cage with cardboard about 8 inches up on the sides.

We have a heat lamp but don't those get too hot?

 

[elmo]

And it also depends on what kind of bulb you're using: ceramic, infrared or plain old incandescent.

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

My brooder is about 2 1/2' tall, 16 square feet, it has a plywood and hardware cloth lid. I tested a 250 watt red bulb for TSC and it got way to hot. So I put 2 100 watt red bulbs on opposite ends of the brooder and the temp test 92 degrees right under the light and 78-86 every where else. My chicks are 4 days old right now and as the weeks go by I will remove one light and then hang the light above the brooder lid to adjust the temp. I am new to this, but I hope my own trial and error helps. Oh and I use my husband's heat radar gun to test the temps and it is hilarious watching them try to catch the little red light!

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

Oh my 100 watt bulbs are not infrared they are just painted halogen lights, flood lights? I bought them at the hardware store not the farm supply.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Another benefit of using your two-light system is that if one blows while you're not around the other one will continue to give them warmth...good redundant system.

Beware of conditioning the chicks to chase the red dot...later on a blood speck on a chick could be really bad. Just saying...

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[ranchhand]

Need more info, please. So much depends upon ambient temperature, what type of fixture, how far away are you going to place it, will you be able to raise and lower it, etc.

Like Katy said, I find 95F to be a bit too hot, so I usually start at 90F for the first week and decrease by at least 5F each week. Sometimes even more, depends upon the conditions in the area.

Be VERY careful about the fixtures capacity, the method of attaching and fire issues in general.

Good luck and enjoy your chicks!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Oh my, I hope you mean 100 watt flood lights and NOT halogens! Halogens get extremely hot.

If you have 100 watt floods, they will work fine. use a metal fixture with a ceramic socket.

 

[LivinNewDreamInND]

Ranch Hand: They are flood lights I just went and checked. I do have them in the metal w/ ceramic socket fixtures like you are saying. It seems to be working good so far.

Ed: Thanks for the heads up. I didn't even think of that but it makes perfect sense. I will make sure to coax them over to the other side of the brooder when I check temps.

Happyhen: your brooder sounds like my guinea pig cage, which I did consider buying a second one for the chicks. I think that if you use one of the 100 watt painted red flood lights set on top (as long as it is a metal top) it should work good, because my lights fixtures are in my brooder and it seems like there is about 8 - 10 inches from the botom of the light to the brooder floor. You probably should use the same fixture Ranch hand suggested so the actual bulb does not touch the cage.