How to Make a Heat Lamp for Chicks

Raising chicks to full-grown chickens is fun and challenging. Fluffy little chicks look cute, but they need food, water and warmth just like any baby animal. A heat lamp placed over the cage will sustain the new chicks' required body temperature. In cold weather, a heat lamp will keep their water container from freezing. A homemade heat lamp can be made with readily available tools. Start with a basic UL-listed clamp light to create a safe fixture. Follow these steps to quickly make a heat lamp for chicks.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clamp light with 250-watt socket
• Hammer
• Thick nail
• 250-watt infrared light bulb
• Wire clothes hangers
• Wire cutters
• Pliers

1. 
   Clamp light

   Place clamp reflective light face down on a board so that the rim of the reflector bowl rests evenly on the wood. Make four holes at equal distances around the rim by hammering a large nail through the metal.

2. 
   Infrared light bulb

   Screw infrared light bulb into the reflective light socket. Verify that it is a 250-watt bulb to generate sufficient heat for the chicks.

3. 
   Wire clothes hanger

   Untwist two wire clothes hangers and straighten them. Lay both wires across the center of the face of the light reflective bowl. Clip the wires with wire cutters to extend two inches beyond the bowl rim at each end.

4. Thread one end of a clipped wire into one of the holes on the reflective bowl rim. Bend the wire into a curve to thread the other end into the hole on the opposite side of the rim. Place an end of the second wire into a remaining open hole. Curve the wire and place the other end into the last hole.

5. 
   Wire guard

   Grip the loose end of each wire with pliers and twist around the rim to press against the inside of the bowl. Create this simple wire guard to keep chicks from direct contact with the infrared light bulb.

6. 
   Chicks under heat lamp.

   Clamp the light to a secure section of the chick coop. Position the face of the reflective bowl 2 feet from the cage bottom. Run the cord across the top of the cage and secure it to the cage with duct tape.

Tips & Warnings

• Infrared lights are soothing for chicks, allowing them to sleep better and pick at each other less.
• Ensure that the clamp light has a tag verifying it is UL tested.

Resources

• American Poultry Association