Brinsea EcoGlow Safety Brooder FAQ

Author: Aussie Chook Supplies  

With the hobby of hatching chickens becoming increasingly popular, the variety of brooders and heat sources available to keep your baby chickens warm can be very intimidating. Some people use normal globes, some use ceramic globes, some use reptile heat lamps, some use a cold brooder (no direct heat source) and some purchase from overseas.

This frequently asked questions page aims to clarify for our reasons for using, recommending and selling only one brand of brooder equipment – the Brinsea EcoGlow Safety range.
 

What is an EcoGlow Safety Brooder?
EcoGlow Safety brooders are a height adjustable heat source which allows you to keep up with your chicks growing needs. Being a heat only source (no lights), the EcoGlow brooder allows your chicks to grow more naturallay and have sleep cycles which aren’t inhibited by bright lights shining on them 24/7.

The actual heal pad is safe for human touch so rest assured that your fluffy little babies can huddle up underneath without getting burnt. Much like the body heat from a Mother Hen, the chicks will move under or away as their needs dictate. To be most effective, it should be set up out of draughts, so a box with high sides is perfect. I compare the radiant heat from the brooders and draughts to be similar to being at the Footy when it is windy. You can stand under one of those large industrial bar heaters but if it is windy you will still feel very cold. We have also used rabbit cages with towels over one end at night with great success.
 

Why use an EcoGlow Safety brooder?

EcoGlow Safety brooder units are suitable for up to 5-6 weeks, when most poultry are fully feathered and able to live independantly. At this age, they should not require any further heat source and with adequate housing, they are able to live outside and maintain their body heat quite well.

Traditional reptile globes and ceramic heat bulbs can chew through huge amounts of power, using anywhere between 75-200 watts of power per bulb. EcoGlow Safety brooders are fantastic energy savers in comparison, using between 12-18 watts of power at peak periods. Far and away the safest on the market, with the 12v transformer also. Recommended for draught free environments, a box with high sides is absolutely fine… 

With more chicken lovers coming together on forums and Facebook groups, the incidence of fires using other heat sources is much higher than originally thought. Although honestly, you can’t really be surprised when you think of something that is on 24/7, in an isolated location, combining heat with flammable bedding sources?
 

How do EcoGlow Brooder work?

This great little video from Meyer Hatchery in the USA shows one setup using the Brinsea EcoGlow Safety 600 brooder.