After Hatching

Hello, I am new to this chicken keeping business, and was wondering what kind of temperature newly-hatched chicks need to be kept in?

I believe its 90, 95ish maybe even 99

Mandy28 said:

Hello, I am new to this chicken keeping business, and was wondering what kind of temperature newly-hatched chicks need to be kept in?

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There is a tendency for folks to keep chicks too warm, which delays their feathering out, makes them prone to pasty butt. If using a heat lamp, it's important that they be able to get away from the heat under the lamp. Start with the temp directly under the lamp (if that's what you're using) at 90 - 95* the first day. Then decrease it by 5* or more/week based on how the chicks are acting. It's also a good idea to turn that lamp off for a few minutes several times/day, and increase the off time till it's off an hour/ several times day, especially if you are brooding them inside. If they are brooded outside where the ambient temps are cooler, you could forgo this as long as they have plenty of room to get away from that heat! Aim for the temp away from the lamp being about 20* cooler than that under the lamp (or down to what ever the ambient outside temp is. You DO not want the entire brooder to be warm. Mama broody only has heat directly under her, and she raises healthy chicks even when the weather is quite cool. They run in and out from under her throughout the day, spending a lot of their day ranging at her side. By far the easiest way to mimic the perfect heat set up provided by Mama broody is to use a heating pad cave: Check out this article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

There is also a thread associated with it where folks can share experience and problem solve. See below.