Brooder Temperature Extremely important?!

[nepoisopen]

Dumb question.
We just got some baby chicks, and we put them in the brooder, they act totally fine, are very active, etc, so we didn't think twice about monitoring the temperature.
We have a heat lamp over the brooder, but it's about a foot up.
When I took a temperature reading this morning (just for recording purposes, not because the chicks looked or sounded upset!) I saw it was like 77 degrees at the base.
Again, the chicks are acting like chicks, they don't look cold, or anything like that, they are running around acting like babies, they slept fine last night, when one wants to get warm, it goes under the lamp and stretches out.
If I move the lamp closer, I'm afraid the chicks will be in danger of the lamp hitting them.
Is it something I should really concern myself with if they are acting happy?
Thanks for the responses, I'm going to try to figure something out better, we have 2 broody hens now, so maybe we can just stick chicks under them, I guess.

 

[teach1rusl]

Based on what you've described about their behavior, they sound fine. Always use the chicks' behaviors before a thermometer...can't go wrong that way!

 

[SD Bird Lady]

my brooder never is at 95°F unless they are acting chilly (hard trip or otherwise sickly) Otherwise I think 80°F is about my average with a lot of space to move away from the heat just like if they were under a hen.