2 week old temperature

[vdietz]

We have 6 easter egger chicks in a giant tote in our coop. Daytime temperatures are 85-90, we have turned their light off during the day. At night the low in the coop last night was 66 degrees. I have been turning on the light at night but even now at 9:30pm it is 86 degrees in the coop. When do you all think it is safe to leave their light off?

 

[Orion ZyGarian]

Rule of thumb as I understand is that if the light is off and the chicks end up grouping up together, it's because theyre trying to stay warm and would still need the heat. How old are they?

 

[vdietz]

Rule of thumb as I understand is that if the light is off and the chicks end up grouping up together, it's because theyre trying to stay warm and would still need the heat. How old are they?

They are 2 weeks. The issue is it is overnight in the coop at the back of our property. I cant keep an eye on them to see how they are acting.

 

[Doc7]

Can you install a mama heat pad instead of the light and let the chicks self regulate? All you need is some scrap 2x4, a cookie cooling rack, and a sunbeam 10x12 heat pad without auto shut off (should be under 15 dollars). Would be A lot less stressful for you and healthier for the chicks and no fire risk and you already have power out there.

 

[drinkoj]

Charts I've seen (and been told) say you start at 95 degrees the first week and each week they get older you can drop it by 5 degrees. So your answer is 90 degrees for two week olds. Around week 4 they should be filling out and they don't really need a heat source this time of year. This what we've done since we're new to the chicken world too.
FYI, where are you at in the world? I'm assuming warm weather for you right now.

 

[Doc7]

Charts I've seen (and been told) say you start at 95 degrees the first week and each week they get older you can drop it by 5 degrees. So your answer is 90 degrees for two week olds. Around week 4 they should be filling out and they don't really need a heat source this time of year. This what we've done since we're new to the chicken world too.
FYI, where are you at in the world? I'm assuming warm weather for you right now.

these temps are widely accepted nowadays as being 5 degrees warmer than necessary, so it starts at 90. Besides any solution should have very warm and very cold (my chicks run around in 20F temps at 5 days old in the coop in April) areas so the chicks can self regulate themselves.

 

[rosemarythyme]

With those temperatures OP, I would remove heat entirely at 3 weeks.

 

[NatJ]

If you want to know where the chicks sleep, but without going outside in the middle of the night: clean the brooder right before bedtime, then go out in the morning and look for where the droppings are.

If you just want to not worry: make sure the brooder is so long the chicks can be completely away from the heat, then leave the heat available longer than needed.

 

[vdietz]

With those temperatures OP, I would remove heat entirely at 3 weeks.

That is what I was thinking. I was just looking at the 10 day forcast and there are going to be a couple days of lower temps just before they turn 3 weeks. They will need heat overnight then but when it returns to hot...and i anticipate hotter as July is coming... I will try it off.

 

[vdietz]

If you want to know where the chicks sleep, but without going outside in the middle of the night: clean the brooder right before bedtime, then go out in the morning and look for where the droppings are.

If you just want to not worry: make sure the brooder is so long the chicks can be completely away from the heat, then leave the heat available longer than needed.

That is a good idea to see where they are at night.
Chicks can get out of the heat totally and they are totally fine with the heat for a long long time. The real issue is that with the coop closed at night it is still so warm even at 10pm then adding the heat lamp on the chicks I am worried about the temp for the rest of the flock. Last night the temp in the coop went up 2 degrees (84 to 86) when i closed the door and turned on the heat for bed.