Chookie, you guys do make me laugh. We call them chooks up here too, smiling, I mean the chickens.
Lone, the laws up here about ILT are extremely firm. If a farm has any report of this disease, all the stock must be killed. If chickens are taken to shows, they MUST be vaccinated for this.
There is a vaccine up there that is a non-shedding one available. There was some information I read somewhere, but cannot off the top of my head recall what/where, or really what it was all about, but could find out more, if you required so. I should not speak too much of it, as I really do not know anything of this vaccine nor this malade. But it is an extremely bad one, I know that. You were wise to bring in new earth to your yard, very good of you to do that thing.
The infra red lights are 250 watts. They can come in clear or red. Evidently the red colour is so that people are not burned by it. Sounds dumb, as all light bulbs shed a certain amount of light. Ken bought me the clear one when my last red one burned out, and it appears to give the same heat. I suspend the bulb about 24 inches off the ground and that seems to hold the temperature in a very adequate heat, about 90 degrees or thereabouts. I raise the light more as the chicks age. At about 4 weeks old, there is no longer that heat source, they are feathered out and do not require it here. But at the same time, my chicks are indoors in my basement suite right now. But in spring, when outside in the chicken barns, the same applies, after total feathering the light is removed. This age is approximate. Beautiful days, love and live, share, health. Cindi