Brooder light / heat source dangerous?

[Amberleighe]

I saw this on YouTube and thought it was brilliant... however, I wanted to get some opinions on it. Do you think its safe for the chicks? The creator responded to one users question about the bulb being hot and the chicks touching it by saying, "They're too short at first and once they can reach the bulb, they're old enough to recognize the danger of leaning on it for very long."

What is your opinion?

 

[Amberleighe]

Also I plan to use an old headboard "end cap" cabinet type thingy, we're going to work on it today I am not sure if that would make a difference in it holding too much heat since it's actually INSIDE the brooder.

 

[Amberleighe]

No one has an opinion on this setup?

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Keep the bulb to a hundred watts or less and it should be OK. In fact as small a cubic volume as that tub is I doubt that I'd use anything larger than a 60w unless I was using it outside.

My biggest problems with it is the ventilation. I used a tub much like that one to build a display brooder out of. It's not very tall so it's going to need a top once the chicks reach a week old or thereabouts. With a top on it air flow considerations become very important.

 

[Amberleighe]

THANKS! So just a standard red light bulb would work? I am using this as my brooder (its not complete) it's 27.5in x 16.5in with 5 chicks. It will be in our house in a room with the AC vent closed but the AC in the rest of our house does stay on 70 pretty much all the time (I am very hot natured).

 

[cmom]

I saw this on YouTube and thought it was brilliant... however, I wanted to get some opinions on it. Do you think its safe for the chicks? The creator responded to one users question about the bulb being hot and the chicks touching it by saying, "They're too short at first and once they can reach the bulb, they're old enough to recognize the danger of leaning on it for very long."

What is your opinion?

d

I watched the video and saw they used a dimmer switch. I use regular 15 watt incandescent bulbs. I have never had a chick get burned on one. They know hot and don't like it. I would experiment with different wattage's to see whats works best to keep the temperature. I don't keep my chicks at 95ºF the first week. My temp is more around 90ºF. In my brooder boxes I use 15 watt bulbs. You could always make a wire shield to go around the bulb.
I made this hatcher/brooder out of a cooler. Originally I had a dimmer switch with one bulb in the bottom. The bulb had burned out during the night and the hatcher/brooder went down to 70ºF. The chicks were ok, but since I modified it and put two bulbs in just in case one burnt out which has happened. I put wire over the bulbs. I also took out the dimmer switch and put in a wafer thermostat. Here are some pics. Good luck and have fun...













The modified version

 

[Amberleighe]

I watched the video and saw they used a dimmer switch. I use regular 15 watt incandescent bulbs. I have never had a chick get burned on one. They know hot and don't like it. I would experiment with different wattage's to see whats works best to keep the temperature. I don't keep my chicks at 95ºF the first week. My temp is more around 90ºF. In my brooder boxes I use 15 watt bulbs. You could always make a wire shield to go around the bulb.
I made this hatcher/brooder out of a cooler. Originally I had a dimmer switch with one bulb in the bottom. The bulb had burned out during the night and the hatcher/brooder went down to 70ºF. The chicks were ok, but since I modified it and put two bulbs in just in case one burnt out which has happened. I put wire over the bulbs. I also took out the dimmer switch and put in a wafer thermostat. Here are some pics. Good luck and have fun...













The modified version

Thank you so much for your advice! I am going to go ahead and install the light and try different bulbs to see what i need to keep my chickies warm when they arrivel