[FiB]

Hello all, have bitten the bullet and ordered an incubator (the brisea one that takes 20 eggs and shows humidity).  Last year we had day old chicks and borrowed a heat lamp from a neighbour, so thats going to be next purchase....any recommendations for lamps and bulbs ??- I'm hoping I can use the same one if I need it when lambing next year?  low energy use is pref and even better if I can run it off a leisure battery.  I loved the look of the brisea brooder , but need a more multipurpose lamp if poss.

[suziequeue]

The best heat lamp, incubator and humidifier IMHO is a hen ;-)

[jaykay]

I just use a 250W red heat lamp in a holder - as sold by our feedstore. It's flexible, means I can use it in any cage, ie they start out in a little cage in the kitchen and then graduate to a huge indoor rabbit cage in the hall, and I can use the heatlamp with both.

[FiB]

The best heat lamp, incubator and humidifier IMHO is a hen ;-)

  Do agree!!!  No chance of my ex batts going broody sadly!!!  Did think of trying to buy a broody, but lots of foxes (I'm down to 3 hens now - all taken mid afternoon, I may have to give up letting them free range and build a big coop.  As it is I have been letting them free range in the morning and then shutting them ito their smallish coop at lunch time - feel so bad doing it!))  around so thought it would be easier for me to protect if I have control of the whole process. 

Cant work out the differnce in energy consumption between ceramic bulbs and infra red etc..  and are they the same as the ones you use if you have a cold lamb that needs a bit of extra heat??

[jaykay]

As often as not my broodies give up with a day or so to go 

The red lamps are what you use with a lamb too, yes.

Ceramic bulbs produce heat but not light. Some folk think the ducklings and chicks sleep better if no light. Personally I find that the extra light at night to begin with means they feed more, so grow strongly.

I always put an ordinary desk light on them during the day too, so they dont grow up with funny eyes, thinking the world is red  and then switch it off at night, just leaving the red heat lamp.

Since my ducklings are now in the hall, where I never close the shutters, and their red light is on all night, I shall be getting a reputation.......

[little blue]

their eyes are different to ours anyway, so they don't bother really!

Jaykay, could be worse ... our chicks are in the top front bedroom, the red light shines down the street for all to see!!