Broken pin feathers

[DressageRider]

Looks a bit crowded at the top end.......that's a lot of lamp shades!

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.

Hmm...They all moved over to that side as I opened the brooder and spooked them. When I go in they are usually spread about staying busy, I don’t think they’re too hot or cold by how they act. We started with them at the recommended 95 and dropped 5 degrees a weekn. One end of our brooder the lights are lower and closer to the 80 (4 weeks old)they should be at. The other end the lights are slightly higher and cooler, without any lights on the opposite end it would be close to outside temps (20-30 at night). I know it looks like a lot of lights but I check and change it multiple times a day/night depending on what our weather is.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

You're doing great!

I think an unheated opposite end would be OK... or maybe an unheated expansion... My mama's raise chick that forage in the cold and they pop back under her as needed. But whatever you are comfortable with. Sounds like

Remembering that many chicks will put off a lot of their own heat to.

Yes, chicks can get bored... we paint polka dots on their brooder walls and every day they go work building something just hammering away. We even use small or short cardboard boxes for little jumping step and such. Marbles in the shavings to peck at. And a dish of dirt from the outside is such enrichment PLUS a little exposure to your soil bacteria helps build immunity before the head out full time, IF they aren't Marek's vaccinated. Otherwise minding the quarantine schedule is important.

While they always seem fine, it's interesting to see how the behavior changes as space opens up... more wing flapping and darting around.

Good luck, can't wait to see more pics!

 

[aart]

Hmm...They all moved over to that side as I opened the brooder and spooked them.

Ahhh...makes sense.

or maybe an unheated expansion

Good idea.