Hello farmy friends! I wanted to start this week off telling you about a cool product! The folks at Incubator Warehouse were kind enough to offer me a brooder kit to try out and review. I have been using it for about a week now, so it’s time to tell you what I think!
The kit contained the following items:
- Adjustable Tripod Heater Stand
- 250W Brooder Lamp
- 250W InfaRed Heat Lamp/Bulb (NOT Included in shipments outside of USA/Canada)
- 8 Foot Long Containment Wall (Makes 30.5″ Playpen)
- Set of Brooding Instructions
What drew me to the kit in the first place was really the heater stand. Finding a way to safely attach a heat lamp is often the biggest challenge I face when brooding a batch of chickens, so finding a free-standing unit to hold the lamp was a pretty big deal!
After using this kit, I will still say that the stand is the star of the show. It was so easy to assemble that my 9 year old put it together for me! (She LOVES to assemble things, which makes one of us!) It comes with a little chain at the top with a hook on one end, so I just attached the lamp with the chain and hooked it back onto itself. I used a pair of pliers to clamp the end tight to help prevent the lamp from falling if the chicks get rowdy. The chain can be shortened as the birds grow and require less heat. It really is a great idea!
The 8 foot long containment wall consists of a piece of strong corrugated plastic and some heavy duty tape. There isn’t much to it, but I had my brooder set up in no time. I am brooding this batch of chicks in a corner of my milk room, so I placed an old box under the chicks to protect the floor. I threw in some pine shavings and I was all set! P.S. If this is your first time brooding, you will also need a feeder and waterer for your chicks. (You can order those from Incubator Warehouse as well, just don’t forget!)
So here are my pros and cons of this unit.
Pros:
- Fast, easy setup.
- Quick delivery.
- Great way to keep your heat lamp safe.
- Heat lamp and red bulb are included. (NOTE: I changed out for a white bulb for the pictures because I couldn’t get a good shot with the red lamp!)
- Sturdy heat lamp.
- Plastic containment wall can be rolled to take up very little space when not in use.
Cons:
- In the long run, I think I would choose to use the lamp holder with a more solid containment structure like a plastic storage box. This would help keep my floor clean and dry (especially if water spills, which it usually does at some point!)
- No roost pole, so my babies are trying to roost on top of the feeder.
- Playpen is a little short, and at less than 2 weeks old, I’ve already had a bird fly out when it got spooked becauseI reached in to refill the feeder.
Final thoughts:
This is a great kit for a first time chick brooder! The lamp setup is great! The plastic containment wall – meh. It will work to get you started, but a storage box will probably prove to be better in the long run. The fact that I don’t love the wall, however, would not keep me from purchasing this set simply for the light set up!
Have you ever brooded chicks before? What do you consider to be your essential equipment?
If you enjoyed this post, and all things chickens, you might like my “Feathered Friends” Pinterest Board! And don’t forget to sign up for Beulah’s mooooooosletter so you don’t miss a minute of the fun!
***Disclaimer: I was provided with a free brooder setup by the kind folks at Incubator Warehouse. I was not monetarily compensated for this review, nor was I under obligation to give a favorable review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.***