Assisted Heating

[barkpurr]

How long do chicks need assisted heating to keep their temperature up? Right now I have them in my home under reflective lamps, 60 watt bulbs, keeping temp at 82. They are 12 days old. The room 75 to 80.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If your room is 80, and you are brooding at 82 turn off the light.

 

[barkpurr]

When I did that, they seemed cold. I have 4 baby chicks in the brood box.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Normally you start brooding at 85-95 degrees, you decrease your heat by 5 degrees a week until they are fully feathered at 6-8 weeks, or until brooder temperatures and ambient temperatures are the same. At 12 days they should be acclimated to 80-90 depending on where you started. They will complain when the light goes off, they will actually cry for it like it's their mom. What I will do is shut it off for the day and run it at night for another few days before stopping it. You can run a night light if you wish. If you don't lower your temperatures it takes longer for them to feather out.

When do you plan on moving them outside? If it's warm enough, than they can spend the day outside and begin getting used to that. Provide feed water and shelter in a smaller movable pen or straight out to the coop if it's unoccupied.

Here's mine from last year at about a week old.

 

[barkpurr]

Thank you for your reply. I planned to keep them in, until they are at least 6 weeks. I have been given different advice. Some say to keep them in longer until they are fully feathered, some say what you just said. It's starting to get warmer here. We are in Northern Ca. about 45 mins. east of San Francisco. So the weather has been fluctuating alot. Today it rained, yesterday it was 95! The back room we have them in has been staying right about 75 to 80 when it's nice outside and now it is 66 since it rained. no heater on. Have to keep them away from our cats, so door is kept closed. . So have the temp in the brooder box at 82. I started at 95 when they were born. They seem comfortable at 82. We have a new coop that we bought for them and have to put it together, just got it.

So I figured when they are feathered, we can put them in it. We are going to build a bigger pen around it and allow them to forage in the yard as well. How does this sound?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sounds good. You may have to go back an forth providing heat when needed until they are feathered. Do what you believe they need. It won't hurt them to be at 82, it soon will be hotter than that as you said. If it's too cool to be out I leave mine in and provide brooder entertainment by giving them sod clumps. Mine are also only out if I'm home. After you put up the coop they could go out and mess around in it during the day or even just stay out there. Use their behavior as your guide.