Will this work?

[MrsBachbach]

I was thinking about using cardboard to keep the heat in better.

Good idea because you want to keep drafts out. If you put the cardboard around you will likely only need one bulb.

 

[KYchickadee]

Would I need to put the cardboard all the way up, or just part way? The pan is about 6" deep in and of itself.

 

[TOOCLOSE]

Can you post a picture for us to look at? This guessing game at what you are trying to do is getting confusing! Don't want to give you any false info!

TC

 

[KYchickadee]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=16725

It's the extra large one.

 

[TOOCLOSE]

OH! A hamster cage! I was thinking of the complete wire rabbit cages outside! LOL
If momma and babies are outside in the cold? Then you need to completely cover the cage!
Depending on where the cage is at? If it gets sunshine or no sunshine? The sun is also going to heat it up.
So be sure and have an area where it's cooler in the cage - like the other poster suggested!

Post pictures of babies and momma when you can! Use the picture box on the 2nd row, 1st one! Right below the Source button. Follow the directions when the next page pops up!

TC

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Very interesting thread here have enjoyed reading it! Here is what I use, it's a guinea pig cage with Brinsea Eco glow in. Great for the first couple of weeks for indoor house brooding.

 

[aart]

The brooder will be indoors. I had thought about having my dad attach the lamp to the wire on the top of the cage itself so it couldn't slide. Then I had actually considered a dimmer to increase or decrease the heat, as you mentioned. I thought this would be good though, as it gives them more room to move around when they're bigger, and the edges are already rounded so none will get squished into a corner.

Indoors and a cage that small, I don't think you need any cardboard at all...... and I'd only use a 40-60 watt bulb on the dimmer......watch their behavior closely to adjust the heat with the dimmer.

Putting a thermometer on the bottom of the brooder to see what the temps are is a good tool for a beginner...or just the curious...but chick behavior rules.

 

[kyexotics]

Can I use one of the wire rabbit cages with a plastic bottom for a brooder? I would use two lamps to make sure it's warm on both ends. I was worried about them possibly getting out through the bars (they're 1 inch apart).

We use one and it works great! These are our Polish/Sultan mixes(hoping for a black sultan) with a pure polish in there somewhere...The lamp is over the left side and we keep a sheet of plastic up there to offer an area of shade so they can find their own "Goldilocks" zone...



And here's another we use for a pair of Golden Sebrights who are raising 5 silkie angels!

 

[MrsBachbach]

If you have the cages laying around, and the room you have them in is stable temp wise, then it likely won't need wrapping if you have a source of heat for the chicks. You won't be able to keep the chicks in there long as the space is not large enough.
I have found the large plastic tubs at Walmart work well for raising a small batch of chicks. The shavings don't escape the tub. We just fashion a chicken wire lid for it and suspend the heat lamp above it.
I have also used large cardboard boxes for chick brooders. They work well also and you just throw them away when done. A 60 to 75 watt bulb works well as a heat source for those.

 

[KYchickadee]

I guess I'm confused with everyone calling this a small cage....? It's bigger than almost every hen house I've seen and bigger than any rubbermaid container I've ever seen. It's 40x18 or something like that. That's too small? It's only slightly smaller than the troughs they keep 100 babies in at the feed store.