Kerala, India
Chicks should be positioned under a brooding lamp after being transferred from the incubator. Again, there are numerous sophisticated equipment options on the market ranging in price from economical to premium models. I utilize a cardboard box with a brooder light base. The boxes used are fairly large ones so that the chicks will not outgrow their accommodations too rapidly. For the beginner, this is what I recommend. Obtain a Y-shaped electrical socket from your local hardware store as well as a brooder lamp which comes with double insulated electrical components. Install the Y-shaped socket inside the brooder lamp base and then mount two incandescent light bulbs inside the socket. In early spring, I recommend using two 60-watt bulbs; as summer advances, use two 40-watt bulbs. The reason for utilizing two bulbs is so that when one fails in the middle of the night or when you’re away at work or elsewhere, the chicks still receive heat from the other bulb. Always maintain a good stock on hand and replace the burnt one as soon as possible. Also use two different aged bulbs so they don’t both fail at the same time.
One final point about light bulbs. I use a spray enamel and paint the bulbs either red or blue. I have experimented with other products but the paint never seems to cure well on the bulb and produces a burning odor after the lights have been on for awhile. Chicks maintained together in a relatively confined space such as in a brooder have a tendency to peck each other, an undesirable habit which can lead to deformed beaks and sometimes even death. Poultry and game bird breeders have discovered that if you use colored light bulbs, the chicks are less prone to peck each other. The lights should be positioned about 16 inches off the floor. Wood shavings are used for bedding for the first four weeks. After the chicks have been in the brooder for 10 minutes or so, observe their behavior. If you see them clustered together in one large group with each of them attempting to get to the center, which is the warmest part, then they’re too cold. Place a cover over the box leaving a space for air circulation of course. If you see them with their beaks open gasping for breath, they’re obviously too hot. Raise the light bulbs or remove the cover if one is present. If they’re randomly distributed throughout the brooder or resting on top of the shavings in a circle surrounding the outer periphery of the brooder lamp, you’ve got the temperature just right.