Brooder Temp

[mcf3kids]

My baby chicks will be arriving in a day or two so I am testing out our brooder to see where the temp is and is it normal for it to be 90's under the light and only 80 a short distance from the light? I bought one of those hanging lamps with a red light and am wondering if I need another one for the other side of our brooder because the other side away from the light is barely 70 degrees.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Absolutely not. I consider you to have the perfect situation.

I have a 3' x 5' brooder and keep it in the coop. I keep one area in the right temperature range and let the far corners cool off, often 20 to 30 degrees cooler. I find the chicks will usually spend most of the first two days under the heat, but by the third day, they are playing all over the brooder, returning to the heated area occasionally to warm up. They usually sleep in the heated area.

I'd go nuts trying to keep the entire brooder the right temperature. Keep one area warm enough or even a bit too warm and the rest cooler. They will find their own comfort zone and I don't have to worry. Perfect.

 

[mcf3kids]

Thank you for your reply - I am trying to do everything "right" and want these little gals to have a great start - can't wait for them to arrive