3.6m Omlet Chicken Run for sale, Brand New in Boxes, Milton Keynes (MK19)

[ruffle]

Hi Guys,

 

I am new to all this but been on the Eglu forums ever such a lot and learnt so much from you guys

 

After looking after the school chickens we fell in love and it's been chickens, chickens, chickens ever since!

 

Following that we just bought a cube advertised on here and arranged to borrow an incubator which I pick up tomorrow. So not far off getting set up to hatch.

 

I have decided since spending so much on the cube that I will do the hatching thing as cost effective as I can and will be making the brooder from our old fish tank that is now sparkly clean. I know I need non slip matting and a bulb/ heat lamp but read different things about them. I really want to use just a simple fire glow red bulb which I have heard does the job perfectly fine.

 

Have any of you used one of these in your brooders? The ceramic bulbs/ brooder lamps are just so expensive

 

If the firglow bulb is recommended then will hopefully hatching before the week is out (yipee!)

[Redwing]

I'm not sure about a fireglow bulb

 

A normal 60w bulb in an anglepoise type lamp works well as do those clip on spotlights

 

I personally dont like the chicks to have light 24/7 though but it wont actually harm them

 

I do have two cautions though:

 

The chicks wont be able to go in to the cube till they are some weeks old, they just wont be able to manage the ladder, even if you put a ramp over the ladder they'll need to be some age so that they dont hurt themselves if they take a tumble. I personally wouldnt put chooks under 12 weeks in a cube and 16 weeks for bantams (but thats just me)

 

Whatever you do take the bars out of the cube and they will just sleep on bedding in the trays, the bars can go in later

 

You may need to consider an intermediate housing solution

 

The other caution I have is that its getting very late to hatch chicks and they will need to be kept in for longer than they would in the summer so dont overcrowd your brooder or you'll run out of room

 

Maybe its worth considering getting some sexed youngsters over 12 weeks or so or point of lay pullets, that way you avoid all of the problems associated with hatching and raising the young not least rehoming or culling any cockerels

[scarlettohara]

The glass will get really hot if you use a bulb and it is too late to hatch really especially as we are having such low temperatures at night already. I have some 5 week chicks but they will not go out outside for another 3 weeks and then I may still bring them in at night. Yours won't be ready to go out until the end of November - much too late

[ruffle]

Thank you for for the advice. I was thinking of using a hutch as the intermedite home, I often see them on freecycle. I will be doing lots more homework before I decide.

 

The fireglow will stop that constant brightness but it's still 60w bulb and I have seen brooder kits with them on ebay but will inversigate the heat on the glass.

 

The lateness in the year is a worry. Will let you know what we do.

[Tweety]

I agree with the others, and would advise you to consider buying some POL birds as Redwing suggests.