Author Topic: Electric Hen (Read 1946 times)

mentalmilly · « **on:** April 25, 2014, 07:56:41 pm »

Am thinking of getting an electric hen instead of a lamp. Anyone used one, are they easier than a lamp, and are they worth it? Thinking of the saving of electric.

Sbom · « **Reply #1 on:** April 25, 2014, 08:54:28 pm »

Definitely worth it! Saves electric and a more natural light pattern for the chicks. Love mine, had it a few years and never used a lamp since.

lord flynn · « **Reply #2 on:** April 25, 2014, 09:17:29 pm »

yes, I use one as well. in the first week after hatching I also use a ceramic bulb as background heat away from the brines hen as I am not convinced the brines ones are warm enough on their own. thats partly due to where I keep the brooder though (a badly built utility room lol)

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** April 25, 2014, 09:58:41 pm »

Yes, we use one and have never had any problems with it.

At this time of year, I also put a wee fan heater in with them just in case, but that gets progressively turned down on the thermostat, and is off after a few days once I'm sure the chicks have got the hang of the electric hen.

More expensive to start with than a heat lamp, but that soon pays back in reduced electricity costs.

One thing to say - ours came with threaded rods to use as legs. These were absolutely useless, and I now hang the pad on a string, for easy adjustment.

HTH!

HesterF · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2014, 10:09:48 pm »

I've got three now - all Brinsea, one big, two little. They're the only source of heat I use. The smaller ones fit quite nicely in a big plastic storage box so they're cosy for the first week and by then they can cope with less heat. The only thing I don't like about the smaller ones is that the height adjustment is a bit fiddly and requires a screwdriver or similar to lever the sides out. Given you have to change the height up once a week or so & then put it back down again for the next batch, that just annoys me. The big Brinsea has screwy legs so you can change the height much more easily and in smaller increments - but it is (oobviously) big. I have it in a big dog crate and have plywood around the edges which excludes drafts and stops the cats nabbing the chicks/ducklings. Oh, and the only other disadvantage vs. a light is that you can't see the birds most of the time because they all hide underneath it. So in order to check they're OK (particularly when they're tiny) you have to lift the whole thing up which disturbs them. Beyond that I think they're brilliant - no idea how they work out on energy efficiency but others have done the calculations and I believe them.