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[TheOddOneOut]

I start newly hatched chicks at 90°F and keep lowering it from there.

Thanks for the advice! I looked it up, and it said 95, but I should have know better...

 

[aart]

I looked it up, and it said 95, but I should have know better...

That whole start at 95°F then drop 5° per week is one of those old 'rules of thumb' that is taken like it's carved in stone.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

That whole start at 95°F then drop 5° per week is one of those old 'rules of thumb' that is taken like it's carved in stone.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.

Ok! Thank you!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Ok! Thank you!

Would laying a piece of cardboard over one end of the brooder help by giving them somewhere to escape the heat if need be?

 

[Kiki]

It is? That’s what it said to be when I looked it up, but I’ll cool it down.

Yes...and it's really way too hot if they can't get away from that hotness by being in a box where the heat is covering the whole area.

Heat is over rated. You are more likely to overheat the chicks. Lower them temp.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Yes...and it's really way too hot if they can't get away from that hotness by being in a box where the heat is covering the whole area.

Heat is over rated. You are more likely to overheat the chicks. Lower them temp.

I will.

 

[Kiki]

Would laying a piece of cardboard over one end of the brooder help by giving them somewhere to escape the heat if need be?

Can you find another box to add to the current one...to make it larger?

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Can you find another box to add to the current one...to make it larger?

Hmm...maybe? I don’t know where I would get a bigger one, so that might work...

 

[Kiki]

Hmm...maybe? I don’t know where I would get a bigger one, so that might work...

Go look for another one...same size is fine...cut a hole in one side and tape it up against the current box.


Is your coop built?

 

[aart]

Would laying a piece of cardboard over one end of the brooder help by giving them somewhere to escape the heat if need be?

Maybe, test with thermometer...and watch their behavior.