Are they too hot?

[Farmer Viola]

My Faverolles seem pretty puffy and sleepy at times. They eat, drink, poop.. Etc.. All seems OK, but compared to the other 3 we have (EE, Sussex, Wynadotte) they seem pretty low energy and puffy.

They breathe a lot harder than the other 3 do as well. I haven't seen "beaks open and panting", but their heavy breathing when they're laying down is very noticeable.

Could be their personalities, their feathers coming in.. Etc.. I'm new at this, so I'm a bit worried I don't have something perfect for them.

The only thing keeping me from raising the lamp at this point is that they DO have cooler places in the brooder to escape too if they wanted. They're rarely dead center under the lamp, but somewhere halfway between the coolest place and dead center of heat.

Made a video, perhaps someone with a more trained eye can give me some advice?

I watched the video and I think they look normal. They are choosing to lay under the red light, when you pan around there are darker/cooler areas available. They aren't really breathing hard, they aren't panting. their feathers DO look funny growing in, sticking out everywhere... but I wouldn't call them puffed out

I think they look fine.. just my 2c..

as long as they alternate between high energy (running/flying) followed by naps in the warmth, that's perfectly normal

 

[foreverlearning]

Did it get dark when you turned off the heat lamp? That will make them shuffle and chirp because it is sudden. I clean the brooder with them still in it and turn off the heat lamp while doing so just in case I knock it over. I always make sure there is light in there so they won't freak out. They are fine a few minutes at a time without heat, chicks with a broody do just fine like that.