2.5 weeks old ... to heat or not to heat??

[Red_Akers]

We just brought home some baby chicks that are 2.5 weeks old. (Will be 3 weeks on the 22nd) All of the heating lamp information says 80-85 degrees for this age but our room we are keeping them in is about 82 degrees already. We are unsure if they need a lamp or if this will overheat them. Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[NatJ]

They will probably be fine with no additional heat, given their age and the temperature you have, but check them occasionally to be sure.

Chicks can huddle and peep when they are scared of a new place, but if they keep doing it after a few hours, consider adding some heat.

If the do need heat, make sure the brooder is big enough that they can easily get away from it, and don't add too much heat (Maybe a brooder plate, or a 60 watt bulb instead of the usual 250 watt heat lamp bulb.)

 

[3KillerBs]

Once of the reasons I'm loving my new brooder plate is that it heats only the chicks and not the brooder so I'm no longer juggling chains and lamps to adjust things.

 

[Red_Akers]

They will probably be fine with no additional heat, given their age and the temperature you have, but check them occasionally to be sure.

Chicks can huddle and peep when they are scared of a new place, but if they keep doing it after a few hours, consider adding some heat.

If the do need heat, make sure the brooder is big enough that they can easily get away from it, and don't add too much heat (Maybe a brooder plate, or a 60 watt bulb instead of the usual 250 watt heat lamp bulb.)

Thank you for the great information. one other mentioned using the outside coop as a brooder and then adding a plate. I’ve also heard to never give them a plate in an outdoor coop because you wouldn’t want them getting used to that if you were not planning on using this past a certain amount of weeks old. Any thoughts?

 

[NatJ]

Thank you for the great information. one other mentioned using the outside coop as a brooder and then adding a plate. I’ve also heard to never give them a plate in an outdoor coop because you wouldn’t want them getting used to that if you were not planning on using this past a certain amount of weeks old. Any thoughts?

Providing a plate would be fine.

As they get older and bigger and grow more feathers, they naturally choose to spend more time away from the heat.

As long as they have plenty of unheated space, I think there is no harm in having a heated place too. They can use the heat or not, as they choose. When you see that they do not use the heat anymore, that is a good time to remove it.

 

[3KillerBs]

I’ve also heard to never give them a plate in an outdoor coop because you wouldn’t want them getting used to that if you were not planning on using this past a certain amount of weeks old. Any thoughts?

Mine have, so far, stopped using the plate when they no longer needed it. Then I moved them to the integration pen in the big coop.

When I brooded my first flock on this property I brooded them in their coop with a heat lamp and simply took it out when they didn't need it anymore.