Serious chicken math misunderestimation! Help

Post by **thegawd** » Wed May 18, 2016 9:42 am

this is what I had come up with... a peaked roof to help keep birds off of it and one side opens to swap bulbs. to combat drafts I would build a solid plywood wall seperate from the brooder.

Post by **thegawd** » Wed May 18, 2016 10:32 am

http://physics.stackexchange.com/questi ... cent-lamps

heres some info on infrared vs incandescent bulbs... basically infrared is invisible wavelengths that heat up objects. incandescent bulbs generate infrared waves. the infrared bulbs are built more for generating heat and lasting longer, supposedly BUT they still are incandescent bulbs. the only true infrared bulbs are the ceramic ones that dont generate light at all. are any of these bulbs safer than the other? I think not and I secure all bulb holders the same way an electrician would strap down wires.

when I was a reptile breeder I didnt use any fancy bulbs period. I used bulbs available anywhere for a fraction of the cost. Now I use strictly 100 & 50 watt Globe Rough Use Bulbs and keep the bulbs very close to the birds... I havent had one of these bulbs burn out yet.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 3:24 pm

Thanks Gawd what's the distance between the bottom of the lights to the floor of the brooder? The Ohio design puts the light bulbs on the wall so they are not shining on the floor- I wonder if that makes them safer?
Light bulbs are definitely cheaper, but red would be nice. I wonder what paint they were using on the Phillips bulbs, it would be easy to paint them red with the right paint since that's what they did :-/

Chickies got the boot, they are out in the barn- they seemed much happier today, it's 15 degrees warmer in there and I think the roof really helps keep the heat in. I'll keep an eye on them. It's handy that I have a wireless weather station, I can put the sensor in the brooder and the monitor is in the house.
I don't know what it is, but somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks, the chicken poo starts to smell different and it really starts to stink.

O-U-T!!!!!

Post by **thegawd** » Wed May 18, 2016 4:48 pm

in my brooders the bulb is about 8-12" above the floor, they are adjustable. im not sure what paint they use but the better bulbs are actually colored glass. cheap companies paint them... like exoterras reptile bulbs, the paint just chips off, at least they did back in the day.

Flat Rock Farm · Post by **Flat Rock Farm** » Wed May 18, 2016 6:06 pm

Is your bathroom looking like this?????.........LOL

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Wed May 18, 2016 6:39 pm

OMG, that's too funny!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 10:14 pm

Haa haaa haaaa!! almost! I didn't have to put shavings on the floor, but almost!

Shnookie · Post by **Shnookie** » Wed May 18, 2016 10:17 pm

Ha Ha! It could happen, but I only have one bathroom.

windwalkingwolf · Post by **windwalkingwolf** » Wed May 18, 2016 11:18 pm

Robbie wrote: I'll be pis$ed off if those bulbs they sell for chick brooders are no different than flood lights. Paid too much then.

I hate to tell you, but brooder lamps are just incandescent floodlights with red coating, and a more rounded shape to help diffuse heat sideways. Other than the shape, it's the same as you would use to turn your house red for xmas lol, and actually, outdoor floodlamps are probably tougher since brooder lamps tend to explode if they get splashed. One 250 watt incandescent bulb will put out the same heat as another. The red coating is to filter out some visible light wavelengths, so some brooder lamp manufacturers also stamp "infrared" on the packaging, which is a bit misleading in my books, since very little, if any of the heat from such lamps is actually infrared. Or they used to, I haven't bought a brooder bulb in years so I don't know if it's still done. Either way, print a special use label, and jack the price.

There's these bulbs:
Lots of people use them, but I haven't so can't comment on how efficient they would be in a brooder. But the price is comparable and I would think them safer than incandescents.
I would definitely add a partial roof to your barn brooder, even just towels clothespinned over top. I'm kind of in the same boat with the weather right now, Two different age-groups of chicks, the five week old batch is still using a fair bit of heat, especially with the 0 degree nights, because most of them are bantams. So I'm shlepping them outdoors during the day, and taking them in the house at night. But, there's only 20-something of them, I couldn't imagine toting 93! The two week old group is still indoors full time, the wind refuses to warm up enough for me to be comfortable taking them away from heat for long.
What about that 12" wide heat tape stuff. could you use that on the floor of your brooder so it heats from the bottom up?

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Thu May 19, 2016 8:04 am

Thanks WWW I might order some of those ceramic bulbs. Pfffffftttt! I hate being ripped off! And I bought a bunch of those chick brooder bulbs too in different wattages, probably could have saved a bunch at the Christmas light section at Rona.
Chicks seemed OK in the brooder with the roof, and it's supposed to warm up more so hopefully everything is going to be OK from now on. My husband woke up at 3 am to go and see if the barn had burned down , it's still standing this morning, and so far so good!