My brooder is on the fritz

[Loralye]

My brooder is being dumb. I thought I had it dialed in, but apparently not. It's an old one given to me, it appears to be shutting off the heat lights when it reaches 35-37 celcius and then turning back on when the temp drops to 30-32 celcius. The newly hatched chicks hate it, they immediately wake up and start peeping, not sure if it is the temp change or the dark or both. Maybe they will get use to it? They're comfy sleeping on their own spread out until the lights go out.

I hate to add to their stress and a 5 degree drop sucks, seems like a lot. I have a larger brooder set up in my living room that have 4 1 week old silkies in it. I have a separate area ready for the cochin bantams in that same brooder, isolating a small section by using a top of a bird cage for integration. The temp stays stable in there, do you think I should just move them over there now?

Also, has anyone incubated chicks and have one just yell out for attention? Do they see me as mama hen? One started peeping for no reason, temp was good and everything but goes crazy for my hand and just wants to be held they seem way more accepting of my hand day 1 then the silkies that hatched under a hen <3

Photo of one they are in and one ready for them with silkies and separate cage inside (also photo of cochin sleeping on his back for cuteness sake)

 

[Loralye]

Just read that chickens are afraid of the dark though the temps dropping aren't great, it's not dropping detrimentally, I think sudden darkness is the biggest factor.... guess they will just have to deal with it every 20 minutes or so until morning when I can move them

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry, no one was able to help, what do you end up doing?