The American Beagler Forum

i just built my whelping box for pups that are due the middle of january.. what do you guys prefer for heaters in the box.. my box is 36 square and 30in high with a 2in hog rail inside. do you guys prefer the heater pads or do you prefer the heat lamps hanging from the top of the box and why? if you use the lamps, how high do you hang them and what size/type bulb do you use? im planning on putting some carpet reminants down while the pups are in the box and just tossing them out as they get soiled and to give them some traction to get around on. the bottom of the box is insulated as well from the underside. i just need some tips on keeping the box warm and maintaining it.... i had seen where someone had used a waterbed heater and thermostat control under a pc of carpet to regulate the heat. i though that was a good idea as long as they thermostat didnt get bumped or moved. i just need some ideas on keeping the heat in the box ???

It depends somewhat on where the box is located and the time of the year. If it's summer you don't need anything.

I've used everything you talked about. I would never use a heating lamp again- they have been associated with cataracts and other eye problems. The eyes are still developing when they open and easily damaged. The waterbed heater, heating pads and other things that heat from the bottom are to hard to regulate for me.

I use a ceramic heat emmiter- you can google it. It goes into the same socket as a heat lamp but doesn't have rays to hurt eyes or burn out like a bulb. You can adjust the temperature by raising and lowering the fixture. I use a thermometer to keep things right around 85 degrees. I wish I would have found this twenty years before I did.

i converted two of my barn stalls into kennels and put flooring in them and got them off the ground... keeps them out of the wind and cold for the most part. its definitely not out in the elements by no means. ill google the ceramic heater for sure.. thanks for the info...

what size bulb do you recommend? i seen they have them in 60w-150w and even 250w bulbs...

blue collar, i use 60watt bulbs controlled by thermostat, with a piece of burlap doubled over the hole of the whelping box. With the box insulated and temp set at 70 for 2 weeks then a little lower it stays pretty warm and toasty in there. The bulbs and thermostat are covered by heavy gage screen so nothing can bump them.

I used a electric heater with a thermostat set on 75, i have a box 24x30 i cute a hole in one end, built a box for the heater to set in but a piece of wire over the hole,so the pups could not get near the fan worked great. 15 dollars wal-mart

Jeffers Pet Supply

Hard plastic heat pad
gets warm when pups weight is on it
90 degrees

Go about half the size of your box

"my pups love it"

LPB