[Squiggly]

Hi,

Im struggling to know what heat lamp or bits are best and the more Im looking the more Im getting confused 

I need to buy one online so Ive been looking at sites like wells poulty and the have heat lamps, large heat lamps, pro heat lamps with dimmers, reflector shades, these electric hen type things etc...

Please can someone tell me whats best? I don't want to spend a fortune as they probably wont get used again (well maybe not     )

But it seems a heat lamp is going to cost about the same as an Brinsea Ecoglow (not that i really get how to use it) but am i better off getting this?

At the moment I have an indoor guinea pig cage ready for them, I need to buy a drinker for chicks and a feeder for chicks, is this type of cage going to be ok until they are old enough to go outside?

Oh and Im only going to be having about 6 chicks

Id love any help please 

[Casey76]

Always plan for the future   You may have only 6 chicks now, but what about next year 

I'm a great fan of electric hens.  They are inexpensive to run, compared to a heat lamp, they encourage a natural sleep/wake cycle, and you can alter it so that the plate is on an angle so you can have different sizes, or ages, of chicks without having to worry about having the temperature correct.

The downside is that you don't have as much visual access to your chicks, if they spend their time underneath it   Also, as they grow, the chicks can rub off their chick down on the wing elbows  if it is too low (this doesn't affect feather growth, it just looks a bit unslightly).

If you decide to go for a blub, I'd recomment a red infra red bulb, the red light discourages feather pecking and is less lightly to disrupt sleep patterns that a white light/infra red bulb.

[Squiggly]

Lol 'plan for the future' Oooo if my other half could hear you he'd say you're a bad influence 

But yes after your recommendation and a little more searching I have gone for the 30 x 30 electric hen............and now Im even more excited!!!

Another quick question, how early on is it ok to handle then chicks? And how often is ok? I want them to get used to me and to being handled but i don't want to hurt them or take them away from the heat for too long

A big thank you for your reply!

[rachelr]

I have handled mine daily for short periods. As they get bigger i handle them more and more. they are now three weeks and i give them the run of the lounge while i clean out their brooder and cuddle them often lol

[Casey76]

Bad influence, moi?    ask anyone, I never encourage anyone to buy chickens/chicks or to hatch eggs    

Two years ago I was given 2 ISA briwns as a house warming present.  This year I'll have almost 50, including several sabelpoots I have bred myself.

As for your chicks, they should be handled every day, as they need checking over for pasting up (this is where fecal matter covers the vent, leading to a sometimes fatal blockage), and to remove any balls of excrement which get trapped underneath the toe nails.  You have to be confident and firm when handling chicks.  They wriggle a lot, so you have to keep a firm hold else they will jump out of your hands... just no squeezing!

Just be aware at about 2-3 weesk they turn into little hooligans, and no matter how calm you are, they think you are out to get them, so lots of shrieking and running away from you.  At about 8-10 week they turn back into nice little chickies

[Squiggly]

Lol so they go through the 'terrible two's' for a bit then 

Don't worry I know full well they will have me wrapped around their little wings early on 

Thanks for that advice, I am picturing us trying to chase 2 week old chicks around the living room after they have escaped from our hands    Im sure there will be a few posts along the lines of 'Help how can I catch naughty chicks'!!

[bantam novice]

Good Luck Squiggly,
I have some eggs under a broody hen at the moment and reading Casey and Rachels' replies I am wondering if I will have to check any chicks daily as suggested or will mother hen sort this out?

[Casey76]

Chicks with a broody are much less likely to have problems that artificially reared ones

Having said that, if you get a chick which hatches with curled feet or somethine, the hen may kill it when she notices that it isn't keeping up with the siblings.

[Chookiechook]

If you want a cheap alternative..... get a reptile heat mat and tape it to the underside of a piece of ply...... voila..... leccy hen for about £15

I use several and have had no problems at all with them



Here are the pekins snug underneath!!

[rachelr]

chookie how many chicks will one mat heat. I am on my 2nd infra red bulb at £8 in about 6 weeks and its is ticking me off this seems a nice idea.

I wish I had bought an electric hen oh well you win some you use some.

[Chickway]

I have the brinsea eco glow and you can move its height very easily each week as the chicks get bigger.  I have found that I need to supply a red lamp just for a few days until they get the idea of the ecoglow and then I can turn the red lamp off.  I brought a homebase value lamp with a bendy neck so that I can lower and higher the heat as needed and a red heat bulb and it cost me £10.  Once they have found the ecoglow they love it and prefer it over the red lamp. 

I cannot agree more with Squiggly my new chicks are only two days old and easy to handle.  My 8 week old chicks went through about 5 weeks of acting like headles chickens when ever `I tried to pick them up but now at 8 weeks, its like she is going to win so just let her and they rest lovely when I pick them.  I love chickens and this forum, thank you!!!!!!!!!!

[GrannieAnnie]

chookie how many chicks will one mat heat. I am on my 2nd infra red bulb at £8 in about 6 weeks and its is ticking me off this seems a nice idea.

I wish I had bought an electric hen oh well you win some you use some.

2 infra reds in 6 weeks Rachel?  Where did you get them from?  I've had a couple last 2 years!!

[Dominic]

6 weeks is 1000 hours, if its an old type light bulb, thats the rated life.

[rachelr]

No they are the proper bulbs for the heatlamps and i got them from chandlers Ann.

I am going back to day so i shall mention you have had yours a fair while and see what they say

Thanks

[cluckingnuts]

I too have got rid of the infra red lamps and made my own electric hen, though for safety use a thermostat control. Have a look at the Forttex web site.