[lisa80]

hi all as some of you may know we currently have some eggs in our incubator which are due to hatch on the 26th of this month  fingers crossed!!!! we are starting to get some bits ready for the new arrivals and need some information on heat lamps .what sort do we need ?? and does anyone know the best place to get one from??many thanks for your replys in advance

[death of rats]

reptile heat lamp from a petshop around £25 holderanother £10
Electric hen from any of the big chicken suppliers around £40
Up until I got sophisticated I used a 40 w bulb in a wire mesh bird feeder so they could not touch the bulb itself.
Price around £5 for the bulbholder and the plug (fuse it at 3 amps not 13 amps)

[lisa80]

thanks , ones we have looked at have been that price got a week or so to look around so will see if i can get a bargain

[kimT]

I have both heat lamps and an electric hen and the EH is fab a bit more expensive but well worth the extra.

Try here..................they have two sizes.

http://www.regencypoultry.com/heat_lamps/electric_hen_mini.htm

http://www.regencypoultry.com/heat_lamps/electric_hen_standard.htm

[Foxy]

I use electric hens too, much prefer them to heat lamps

[snowflake]

Oh I feel like the poor relation here. 
 I use a large garden propergator for a week or two and then they move on to the large hamster cage in the conservotory untill ready for the outside life.
 But I dont hatch large amounts of chicks.

[chickenlady]

Hello! i use heat lamps but i make my own! metal lampshade from wilkinsons £5, bulb holder 39p, 5 mtr cable £1.99 plug 35p and a fireglow 60 watt light bulb 59p for 2. I have 4 on different brooders and i just raise or lower them depending on the heat needed! i put it quite low on newborns then slowly raise it and at about 3 wks i put a 40 watt red bulb in, and continue to raise till about 4-5 wks when i remove heat!

What eggies do you have hatching soon!? its very exciting isnt it!  

Debbie

[lisa80]

thanks chicken lady  we are told they are welsummer / warrens have got ten eggs in . i think we will give your method a go as i dont want to spend a fortune and only use it once or twice .If we were going to do it regularly it would be worth  the investment.we have also been offered some bantham eggs so if this hatch goes well will give those ago next.hopefully we wont need an incubator once we have the amount we want.Will get oh to post some pics if we are sucessful around the 26th  thanks

[IMOmimey]

i just use a bedside/reading angle-poise lamp. I have 4.I use 40w bulbs, start off with the lamp bent right over to about 8-12" above chicks, then as they move away from the warm patch, I raise it. If they peep and huddle tight, then I lower it down a bit.

I keep the chicks in a cardboard box, with corrugated card layer at the bottom (for grip, to prevent splayed legs), and just chuck the entire box away every couple of days. I have got brooders, but for the first 3 weeks, the disposable method suits me better, and I think reduces bacteria etc.

[Sassy]

I used a similar set up to Chicken Lady and successfully raised all my chicks - it could have been beginners luck!

They will let you know if they are too cold or hot by the way they position themselves. We had the lamp tied with baler twine onto a mop handle which was resting on bookcases so it was easy to move it up and down if necessary. Bit Heath Robinson but it seemed to work. Good luck.

[lisa80]

thanks re candeled eggs last  nite and we think one(slightly larger )is infertile so will take that one out today still have 9 eggs tho so fingers crossed!! :)we do have a back up plan a lady locally has some chicks and growers etc so going to see her at weekend.dont think ill be able to resist having a go at hatching some bantham eggs tho even if we are un sucessful this time

[woodside farm]

I hatch hundreds of eggs, and I only use a 60 watt light bulbs, just altering the hieght when needed, but I do like the idea of the electric chickens.

Michelle xx

[GrannieAnnie]

Just before we started raising our chicks 2 years ago, we went to a local auction at a game farm that the owner was retiring.  He had about 10 electric hens and no one wanted them.  In the end this bloke gave them £2 each for them!!!   

If I only knew then!!!!

But apart from my 4 proper heat lamps,I bought 2 of the wilko's metal shades and made up two extra little heat lamps for my pure breed chicks thanks to Chickenlady's idea.  They are brilliant!

[lisa80]

2days to hatch day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we have fashioned a lamp thanks to u all for expert advice! fingers crossed .... we are taking delivery of 6 pure breeds this afternoon and hubby is just finishing off their ark. We plan to keep them in our garden as they are only 14 wks old and plan to take them to our allotment plot (once oh has got their coop up and running!)in a few weeks time thanks for all your advice will let you know how hatch goes

[lisa80]

someone has just given us a heat lamp from freecycle think it is for tanning has a 150w bulb would this be any good for chicks if we experiment with height???has a red bulb if this helps