heating problem

[Hog]

hi my chick are twelve days old and are in the garage at the moment ,I have got a problem with the heat lamp the bulb has just blown and no where is open to get one. I have put two normal bulbs off hundred watts in there will that keep them warm enough tonight or can anyone suggest anything else I can do

 

[Marigold]

200 watts sounds plenty to me. What power was the bulb that blew? It depends on the number of chicks you have, and what space they're in, but you can tell from their behaviour whether they're too hot (spreading out as far as possible from the lamp) or too cold (huddling together under it.) it's important that they have enough space to get away from the heat if they need to, as overheating can be fatal.
Is it possible to adjust the height of the lamps to increase or decrease the temperature?
When replacing the lamp, the best sort is called a dull emitter - this kind just gives out heat, not light, so it's more economical and also gets them used to sleeping in darkness at night instead of 24- hour stimulation under a bright light. See
https://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Dull_Emitter_Heater_bulbs.html for examples
Or invest in an Ecoglow, which is an electric chick brooder, that is, an infra red heated pad, supported on legs for them to get under when they need to, like under a hen's wings. Very economical and totally safe.
http://www.brinsea.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=587

 

[rick]

I haven’t hatched so better advice on the way but from a purely technical stand:
200W of filament bulbs will produce a lot of heat in a small space if unregulated. If they are used in a thermostat circuit that was used to regulate the heat lamp then you should be fine except, of course, your making a higher proportion of light than a infra red radiator. Incandescent lamps still produce mostly convected heat though (but less directional radiant.) If unregulated then at a pinch I think they will regulate themselves as long as they can move away from the source to a cooler part of the space and the space is big enough - like an 'electric hen' style arrangement?
I assume that the 200W is the closest you can get to the power output of the heat lamp?

 

[rick]

Ah! Marigold to the rescue. I was slow to type!

 

[Marigold]

How did they get on last night, Hog?
I forgot to say that, whilst an old-fashioned 200W bulb will give out lots of heat, the modern kind give out very little heat, which is why they're so power-saving.
If you want to go on using bulbs, get the special red ones which are less disturbing to the chicks at night, and always keep a spare as well.

 

[Hog]

Hi marigold they all got on alright over night ,we got a new 150 watt bulb the next day and put the chick in a bigger hutch as they are getting bigger. Could you give us a idea how much longer to keep them under a light in the hutch as the chicks have been in two weeks now , as iv been told until the get all there feathers . Thanks

 

[valeriebutterley]

Why not buy an electric hen?.
A heat pad that the chicks go under, it is height adjustable and works very well.
Mine all seem to thrive under them. Tritan are selling one currently, 30cm x 30cm for £22.50 including delivery.
I think they are much better than the heat lamp method.

 

[Marigold]

Now the weather's got nice and warm, you could put them outside during the day, in a little safe run where they can get both sunshine and shade. The sunlight will really help their development and will build Vit.D for strong bones. You should be steadily reducing the temperature at night as they feather up, especially now it's getting warmer anyway. Raise the lamp a few inches every night until you can see they don't need it any more.