Reading Jerome Belanger's "Homesteader's Handbook to Raising Small Livestock," he mentions that he uses a 15 watt night light to keep chicks warm at night rather than big heat lamp because too much light encourages cannibalism. Anybody else do this? Or something similiar? Or just leave regular heat light source on 24/7? I'm afraid 15 watts wouldn't keep temps up high enough, i.e., 95 degrees. Don't want them to freeze but don't want them to dig into one another, either! Thanks for any input.

-- spr (rougan@rcn.com), April 03, 2002

Answers

I use the 250 watt infra-red lamps, vary the height of it above what I want to keep warm. I have never had any problems with doing it this way.

-- Polly (jserg45@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

I live in Michigan and I use a 100 watt light bulb in a heat lamp fixture and keep it just low enough for the chicks to fit under. This has always worked for me and they grow just fine. You can tell if they are too cold by listening to them. They will begin a very high pitched cheeping if they are too cold. If they are too hot they will move away from the light and lay around panting. I raise the light as the chicks grow. Given enough room they will either huddle right under the light or move away from it as they desire. If I have too many chicks to fit under one lamp fixture, I hang a second one. I have never experienced cannibalism in chicks that had enough food, water and room to move around.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

I keep my chicks in the house. So I use a red 25 watt light bulb. I use to use a plaine ole light bulb but switched to the red. Not because I was having any problems, but just "in case".

At one time, I had 50+ chicks and they were getting to be way too much for being in the house, and it was the middle of January. They were apx 8 wks old but it was still way too cold for them outside in their house. So we rigged up a 250 infared light and set it up so we could raise and lower it as need be. They did fine for the first week. Then we had a terribly cold, cold front come tearing thru here. The wind drove the wind chill factor down into the single digits. The next morning all seemed well, but upon closer examination of the hen house we found 2 chicks that had been smothered during the night. That was the only bad incidence we experienced.

-- dottie - in E Shore MD (mother-ducker@webtv.net), April 03, 2002.

Just a thought - we have a woodburning stove in our cellar and last spring with the new chicks, we just banked it up for the night and that kept them plenty warm.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), April 03, 2002.

Hi spr, you have had some good advice already and I don't grow chicks, just ducklings(and wild birds) but wanted to pass on some food for thought. Newly hatched poultry like peeps and quacks don't like bright light. It is not good for them and if you think about it you can see where this makes sense. For that reason I don't use regular light bulbs(as a rule) for my ducklings or any other wild species I might be rehabbing. I use the heat lamps most of the time. If I have just one or two orphans I put them in a terrarium and use a BLUE bulb over them. In any case, no matter what kind of lamp I am using, I keep one or more cardboard boxes(placed upside down with one side cut out) in the place where they are being brooded and the light (s) hangs over that. This gives the little ones a choice and somewhere that they can get out of the light and still keep warm. Every hatchling I have ever had(minus chicks, I haven't raised them) chooses the box. Just some thoughts. Ahhh spring! don't cha love it? LOL LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), April 03, 2002.

I have 50 meat chicks under 2 250 white heat heat lamps 24/7. I think Diane has the right answer, enough food water and room to move and you've have happy birds. I bed mine on peat, the dark absords heat and it stays dry. They seem OK and have been in the past 20 years too. 2 250's is over kill but one 15watt seems a bit thin. It still get's quite cold here at night

-- Ross (amulet@istar.ca), April 03, 2002.

last spring we raised 13 chicks and we started them out in the house. that lasted 3 weeks,until i couldn't stand the smell. So we kept them on the back porch in a large box we got from the local appliance store. we hung a white heat lamp bulb in the corner and layed a clear glass window overthe cardboard box. That way we could easily see how the chicks were doing. In the day we could adjust the window to let in air depending on how warm or cold the day was. They were all healthy and didn't seem to mind the light. They were such cute chicks! We had two Polish ones and the top knots were quite a conversation starter. Since we actually live in a regular suburb neighborhood, we gave them to my mom when they were 2 months old. (My parents have 23 acres in the country) Unfortunately, they were all eaten 4 months later. Very sad... but that's off the subject.

-- sariah (joelsariah@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

Just curous sari, how would YOU know if they didn't like the bright light? They can't talk! Give 'em some cover and I bet they will be in it at night. Hmmmm a market here for little chick sunglasses? LOL LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), April 03, 2002.

You're right, I wouldn't know if they liked the light or not. I meant if they were too hot or cold...you know panting or huddling . (I wasn't very clear in my original ) Last year I didn't even know they cared about light but I'm learning things all the time. I'm so glad there is this forum. I have subscribed to Countryside magazine the last 3 years and I always wished the magazine came every month.

-- sariah (joelsariah@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

There's no heat or light outside where the birds are, but those chicks are raised by a hen in a large pen. She takes the chicks back to the nest box at night. I've never lost a chick, even in the winter, so mama nature does a good job!

I raise hatchery chicks in the house. There's a 100 watt light bulb in a reflector on part of their area, and it's 88º under the light. The chicks spend more time running around and exploring then under the heat. I also haven't lost any of these chicks. They have a 10 square foot area and I believe that giving them more space is what prevents cannibalism, since I've never experienced it. Their feeder is kept filled, which no doubt also helps.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), April 03, 2002.

i keep the 250 watt (regular not red) heat lamp on 24/7 for the first few weeks, plus , give them alfalfa hay(really leafy), potato peels and other leftover raw veggies, a dish of dirt, and thier regular feed(non medicated), they have plenty of water, and a good sized area , so they get a variety of food and things to do ,

BTW, i add the hay as soon as i start seeing holes in the bedding from scratching for food, and the potato peels , and other veggies at around 3 weeks

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), April 04, 2002.