Brooder and chicks question

[saf101]

Well we have been lurking for sometime now and we are firstime chicken owners ad new to this site has been a lot of help and a weath of knowledge while researching. We recieved our 25 chicks yestrday plan on only having 10 that will stay with us and they seem to be doing very will we have one heat lamp and one heat emmitter yesterday the temp started to climb with the chick to almost 105 on the heat lamp side and the emitter was at about 90 the chicks sometimes would huddle under the heat lamp but in I was concerned that it was too hot the chicks used the whole area yesterday and lastnight I moved the heat lamp to ontop on the box it dropped the temp to about 90 now at different time the chicks huddle under the emitter it is a little warmer but not much.

They are 2 or 3 days old well at least we bought 1 day chicks Black Asrtoples, Silver lace Wyndottes and White rock. them seem to be very peaceful nt a lot of chrping once i while so everything I read seem to say they will let you know if they are not happy. Them seem very happy.


Questions
1) How concerned do I hae to be about getting it as close to 95?
2) The brooder is 8 feet long 4 feet wide I hae it partition to 2 feet long to 4 feet wide is the big enought for 25 chicks? for now will expand as they get older.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

1) Don't worry TOO much about having exact temps...I've never used a thermometer in my brooders, I let the chicks tell me if they are too hot or too cold. If they are piled on top of each other +/- chirping loudly like something is wrong, they are too cold. If they are all smashed in corners as far away from the heat source as they can get, they are too hot. If they are all spread out, laying around the perimeter of the heat source, your temps are perfect! Having 2 heat sources, one closer and one farther away is a great idea, that way they can seek the amount of heat that they want.


2) Awesome brooder size!!

Congrats on the babies! And,

 

[Matt A NC]

1. 95 is a suggestion. If the chicks are happy them you are doing it right. If they act cold or huddle them raise the temp. I always keep one side warmer then the other so the chicks can get away from the heat.

2. In a week or so you are going to need to expand about a foot. By 3-4 weeks old they will need it all or you will be cleaning a couple times a day.

Matt

 

[peggym]

Hi! I've done this for a few years now and getting it about 95 is right. But if it drops a few degrees or goes up a few the chicks will go where they're most comfortable. You can always tell if they're too cold or too warm, what you really want is for them to be running all over the brooder, that's when you know you've got the temp. right. hope that helps!

 

[saf101]

Thank you for everyone comments about the tempature and brooder this is a great community