Baby Chicks Temperature

[Meganmejia]

I am not sure if my baby chicks are too hot, too cold or just right. Here is a pic of them. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[azygous]

Since that brooder tub is so small, you would know if your chicks are too hot if you see them panting and holding their wings away from their bodies. If the overheating continues, you would see them prostrate on the floor, not what you want to see. Too little is better than too much heat.

A brooder must be large enough so there is one small heat footprint, and the majority of the brooder is cool so the chicks are able to shed excess heat. Your tub does not meet that criteria.

Is it spring where you live and cool or the end of summer and hot? (We don't assume you're in the US) That makes a difference in how much heat chicks need. I got my most recent chicks in the middle of summer, and they didn't require any heat at all during the day, even in their first week.

 

[Meganmejia]

Since that brooder tub is so small, you would know if your chicks are too hot if you see them panting and holding their wings away from their bodies. If the overheating continues, you would see them prostrate on the floor, not what you want to see. Too little is better than too much heat.

A brooder must be large enough so there is one small heat footprint, and the majority of the brooder is cool so the chicks are able to shed excess heat. Your tub does not meet that criteria.

Is it spring where you live and cool or the end of summer and hot? (We don't assume you're in the US) That makes a difference in how much heat chicks need. I got my most recent chicks in the middle of summer, and they didn't require any heat at all during the day, even in their first week.

It is summer here in Ohio. I had chicks in this tub previously with no issues in the spring. What brooders do you recommend? I recently had a chick pass away. She was very small and chirped a lot compared to the others. I want to ensure the temperature is good for them.

 

[azygous]

Plastic tubs are not the best brooders. These deep tubs are rarely suitable for chicks past the two-week mark.

Any brooder container that has at minimum of one square foot per chick will be adequate for the first three or four weeks. After that, the chicks should be spending their days in a roomy run. And since you asked for my recommendation, this is how I brood chicks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

 

[Meganmejia]

Plastic tubs are not the best brooders. These deep tubs are rarely suitable for chicks past the two-week mark.

Any brooder container that has at minimum of one square foot per chick will be adequate for the first three or four weeks. After that, the chicks should be spending their days in a roomy run. And since you asked for my recommendation, this is how I brood chicks. https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/

Thank you!!

 

[Ryguy3684]

Thank you!!

Brooders come in all shapes and styles. I brooded mine in my bathroom and the walls were just cardboard boxes, cut up and taped together. I started with it small, and just made it larger as they grew. If they're going to be in there for a few weeks, I would shoot for 1 square foot per bird. If you put the heat in one corner, they'll be able to regulate their temperature by going from one side to the other. That way you don't need to worry as much about how hot that corner is, as long as it's not cooking them. If they are panting, or drooping their heads, they're too hot. Your chicks are adorable, buy the way. I can't wait to get more in the spring.