Brooder temperature fluctuations

[wholehearted]

Well, we've been learning the ropes with chicks for over a week now using all the knowledge gained here and from books. So far, there is really only one thing that we really haven't worked out yet: brooder temp!! Before we got the chicks, I just assumed you set up the heat lamp, get it to the right temp, and you're good from there. Well, it seems that the temp is constantly changing and I can't stabilize it. My Freedom Rangers seem to be doing okay in spite of my trouble, but I'm worried my new batch of (layer) chicks coming today might not be so forgiving. So...

is it normal for the temp to fluctuate considerably? Is this because of the variations in temp outside the brooder or does this indicate a problem? How can I stabilize it? Might I have too much ventilation affecting this heat? If the ideal temp under the light is 95 (or whatever is recommended for each week), what is the assumed temp for the rest of the brooder? I want to make sure they have an appropriate temp to go to. How much variation between low temp and high temp (under light) is okay?

Thanks in advance for looking at my newbie questions! It seems like this should be so simple, yet I am constantly having to adjust the light. I'm concerned for those times when I am not home to do that all day.

 

[Judy]

I don't fuss with this nearly as much as I used to. To me the trick is having a big enough brooder that they can get away from heat. Nothing wrong with a brooder that's 95 under the heat lamp and 65 at the other end, IMO. They may not sleep where it's 65 but you can bet they'll use the area, even very young.

After watching chicks grow up under a broody in outdoor temps below freezing, with chicks under 1 week happily out pecking and scratching if only for short periods -- and realizing those chicks feather out faster than brooder raised chicks -- my whole attitude changed. I have a few chicks growing up without a mama now, in a pen in the coop. I turned the heat lamp off around 3 weeks because they were avoiding it, even at night, sleeping in a corner as far from it as they could. It's been in the 80's during the day but 60's or a little less at night. After the first week or two I'm convinced they need the choice.

 

[chickcorner]

I did the same thing, as I am new at this to, Trying to get the the temp just right was in imposable for me, but they did not seem to mind, I just watched how they acted if they where all huddled under the light I would lower it a little, till they seemed happy and scatted about. 17- 7- day olds still doing fine. good luck!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

As long as your birds are happy never mind the actual temperature. Let it fluctuate. The way your chicks are behaving will tell you if they're too hot or cold.

This is what you're looking for:

This time of year for chicks more than a week old I unplug the light during the day because it gets so hot in the afternoons. Come nightfall I turn it back on.

 

[wholehearted]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone! I have been watching how they act to make sure all seems well. I guess I just need to trust that instead of worrying about the exact number so much.

Typical first-time nervous chicken mom, right?!

 

[joshm97]

Not really sure what happened but something got into the turkey house. The poults went running and so did the hens 4 escaped and were being coddled by my sweet jake little jake. He was sitting on them yelping ( witch is weird) I think he was calling to the hens. But no one came.... I have six poults in the brooder and the hens only have a couple poults under them. Like 15 are missing