Holy Heat Lamp Batman!

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Wow, Speckled! That's be cool! EEs would have nothing on you. Who wants a plain ol' boring green or blue egg if Speckled's girls are laying swirley, paisley print psychedelic eggs! You could start a new craze! How fun would that be?!
Crank up that blacklight!

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, dear, now I know what my dreams will be like tonight, LOL. It's been a fun trip back to the 60's but it's almost midnight, so I'm off to bed in a few. I think you have it under control now!

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Sweet dreams! Dude!

 

[Moonwalker]

No, no! That would have been "Peace out, man!"

Funny, as soon as someone mentioned Blacklite, I was thinking how the Skittles chicks would glow too, since most of them are coming out with white feathers!



Hmm, I wonder.....

On a more serious note: (hah!)
Reptiles have a high UVB ray requirement because they need it to keep their systems going as well as to prevent bone disorders. Even sunlight through a glass window is not sufficient (screen works) so they need an additional source of "sun light" (UVB, UVA is the stuff that gives you sunburn) most UVB bulbs give off very little heat. Incandescent black lite do give off some and of course the flourescents hardly any at all.

BASKING lamps, or bulbs are made to provide the high heat requirements a reptile needs to get it's body up to the temp it needs to digest it's food and keep the circulation up. This is usually right around 95 to 100, unless you have a desert species. The lights are meant to be kept about 12 to 18 inches off the surface to allow the animals to move freely under it. This is probably what you would want for a brooder.

I didn't mention the lights themselves, just the gadgets, because reptile bulbs tend to be EXPENSIVE! On the other hand, they DO last a lot longer than a regular house bulb. An added benefit is that you can get the FULL SPECTRUM type that mimic sunlight, which is nice if the chicks have to be indooors for a long time, gives them the benefits of sunshine. I use it when I have any animal confined indoors with no access to unfiltered sunshine (even plain clear window glass filters out a LOT of the beneficial rays of sunshine)

The plain reflectors and clamp lights are cheaper at the hardware store as well, but they do have ceramic ones and a couple other kinds that hold heat better. The there are the radiant heat panels and the under tank heaters. Under tank heaters are nice if you have a couple chicks and are using an old aquarium as a brooder. They go underneath and warm the floor, and since heat rises...but they don't usually have a very high temp, so would be a supplemental heat source, still need the lights. I use a little 2"x3" one under a section of my mouse's tank in the winter, under where her sleeping tube is. (NEVER accuse ME of spoiling my animals!)

Hope this helps!
It's kinda eveident I keep reptiles as well as chickens, hunh? <grin>

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Thanks, Moon! Wish I'd thought to look on the reptile aisle BEFORE I bought the other stuff.
I haven't re-assembled the brooder yet, but I'm guessing the adjustable lamp ought to work just peachy fine. It is the infrarred heat lamp, not the UV lamp. I have the brooder in front of a big window so the chicks can look out.

The window is east facing, so the sun and heat shouldn't be a problem, but the chicks should still get some full spectrum filtered light.

I'm setting it back up this morning. Hopefully I can give a good report soon!
Thanks for the advice, man!