brooder question please

[sheilan54]

Hello everyone, this is my first question and surely wont be my last. I have 11 chicks in a huge wooden brooder my husband built. They will be four weeks old this Monday. For the moment i am sharing my sewing room with them and the temp in my home is always at or a little above 70 degrees. I have really babied them and they are doing so well i can't believe how they have grown. I have six leghorn pullets,two buff orpingtons,two siver laced wyandottes and one Rhode island Red pullet. All except the Wyandottes have gotten their feathers in really well. For the last few days i have turned the light off in the brooder because the outside temps have been rather warm. I then turn it back on a night but my question is do i have to keep a light on them at night now since i have them in a regulated temp. They seem more calm without the light on and when i do plug it in they seem to become irritated at each other more. They are all tameing very well when i pick them up and are not easy to stress, but they do seem more content without the light. Thanks for any of your thoughts on this

 

[Veer67]

They are probably just too warm, the temperature in your house is warm enough to go with out a light. I think you should stop turning the light on, you can also let your chicks have visits outside.

 

[Blooie]

I can't tell you what to do, of course, but I turned my brooder lamp off about the same time. I live in Wyoming and once the lamp came off they behaved better, ate when they woke up and during the day, and slept all night. Plus, (and this might be my imagination) I think they started feathering in faster....now whether that's true or not, and whether it was due to no more artificial heat or following the natural day/night cycles I couldn't tell you.

Mine are now living outside quite happily in their coop - without a heat lamp. But again, it's up to you, and some might argue that I pushed it a little, but I had 22 of them in this little house and the dust was just getting to be way too much.

 

[Veer67]

I can't tell you what to do, of course, but I turned my brooder lamp off about the same time. I live in Wyoming and once the lamp came off they behaved better, ate when they woke up and during the day, and slept all night.  Plus, (and this might be my imagination) I think they started feathering in faster....now whether that's true or not, and whether it was due to no more artificial heat or following the natural day/night cycles I couldn't tell you.

Mine are now living outside quite happily in their coop - without a heat lamp.  But again, it's up to you, and some might argue that I pushed it a little, but I had 22 of them in this little house and the dust was just getting to be way too much.

It was probably due to the cooler temperatures. Chicks feather faster when they are raised in a less warm environment, makes sense too.

 

[sheilan54]

Thanks so much . I did read that they feather in faster when you ease up on the heat and lights. My sewing room is fairly small and very warm. And i am looking forward to taking them outside, hopefully tomorrow when it is supposed to reach almost seventy. We have a huge eagle that likes to fly over ever little bit, so im a little nervous even though they will be inclosed. well, thanks to both of you, i do think it will be lights out for everybody tonight.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks so much . I did read that they feather in faster when you ease up on the heat and lights. My sewing room is fairly small and very warm. And i am looking forward to taking them outside, hopefully tomorrow when it is supposed to reach almost seventy. We have a huge eagle that likes to fly over ever little bit, so im a little nervous even though they will be inclosed. well, thanks to both of you, i do think it will be lights out for everybody tonight.

Enjoy a peaceful night's sleep - but bear in mind when they wake up in the morning, YOU'LL wake up in the morning!