Brooder temp. question

[phoenixmama]

I have 2 red sex link chicks and 2 poults in a brooder in my garage. Here's my question: daily temperatures here are now between 90 and 100 degrees, but it gets cool at night (then I turn on the heat lamp)...later this week it's going to get up to 105. Is that too warm for the babies? Is it ok what I'm doing, turning off the lamp when it gets over 90 degrees? Or would it be better to more precisely control the temperature to keep it at a constant 95 or so?

Thanks!

 

[TurtleChick]

how old are your little ones? i'm sure you've read - ideal temp is 95 degrees for the first week, 90 for the second - and so on, reducing temp by 5 degrees each week til they're fully feathered out...

i'd be more concerned about their ability to stay cool when you're hitting 105 - make sure they've got lots of fresh water and shade and ideally cooler than highest temps area. but still use your heat lamp at night if it's getting below their age's ideal temps. more than anything, watch them to see how they're feeling - too hot and they'll be spread out seeking the coolest areas possible and avoiding even each other. too cold and they'll be huddled up looking pretty miserable in the warmest area they can find (and my chicks tend to be WAY more vocal if they're cold...). too too hot and you'll see open-mouth "panting", etc. i try very hard to make sure my chicks have got a wide temperature range to choose from - their heat lamp is at one end of the brooder and i've got it lightly covered at the other end, to offer a much cooler "shaded" area. their food and water is sort of right in between to encourage them to explore and not forget that they've got options!

good luck!

 

[The Poultry Peanut]

I think you are doing fine Just make sure that they have PLENTY of water on the hot days. Is your garage insulated or will it be 105 too if so it probably would not hurt to bring them in on the very hot days. Good luck

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I think you are doing just fine. Worry about them getting too hot when your temps. climb higher.
Watch your chicks. Too cold and they will huddle. Too hot and they will pant and sometimes even spread their tiny wings in an effort to cool off.

 

[k2chickens]

Make sure your brooder is big enough to have an area with a heat lamp on one side and a shaded area on the other that way if they are hot they can go to the area not under the heat lamp. Lately I notice it being warmer out so the chicks have been laying in the area between the heat lamp and the shade!