Hey everyone. Today I brought home 8 blue americana chicks. 6 of them are a week old, 2 were hatched yesterday. I was somewhat worried about the age difference, until I saw the 1 day old ones each push a 1 week old one aside to scratch in the feed........
at first I was using an old rabbit hutch as my brooder, but couldn't get the temp above 75*, even directly under the heat lamp. They were all huddled directly under the light so I moved them into a large cardboard box, with the rabbit hutch wire cage upside down in the top so I could get the light closer. My brooder thermometer is at 86*, which 'by the book' is still too cold, but checking on them they're not all huddled up, only one was even under the light, the rest were scattered about the box. Should I be concerned? I know what the book says, but I also have enough sense to know if they were cold, they'd be huddled up under the light still........one is even sleeping over by the water jug.
at first I was using an old rabbit hutch as my brooder, but couldn't get the temp above 75*, even directly under the heat lamp. They were all huddled directly under the light so I moved them into a large cardboard box, with the rabbit hutch wire cage upside down in the top so I could get the light closer. My brooder thermometer is at 86*, which 'by the book' is still too cold, but checking on them they're not all huddled up, only one was even under the light, the rest were scattered about the box. Should I be concerned? I know what the book says, but I also have enough sense to know if they were cold, they'd be huddled up under the light still........one is even sleeping over by the water jug.