Brooder temperature question

[Phililorp]

I have some ~2 week old black australorp chicks and I have a question about temperature. I read that brooders are supposed to be 95 degrees in the first week and then reduce 5 degrees every week, so this week (the third week) it should be 85 degrees. However, I've read on other sites the temperature should instead be 90 degrees in the first week if I live in a place with warm weather (I live in the tropics), meaning the brooder should be 80 degrees now in the third week. Do you think it would be safe to lower the temperature in the brooder to 80 degrees? That's room temperature here so it would be nice to turn off the brooder light.

 

[Willow2253]

I would say that would be fine. It’s been so warm here my latest chicks were off heat a week ago at 3 weeks. They should be fine during the day, just keep an eye on them and make sure they’re not getting cold. You’ll probably still need to provide heat at night.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I usually get Chicks in cooler weather, Springtime, but I bought chicks in the middle of summer once and I had the heat lamp at reduced intensity.
Watch their behavior. I lowered heat during the day and raised up at night.
I use a plug-in dimmer switch, makes it easy to adjust temperature.

GC

 

[rosemarythyme]

I personally feel the "95 week one, drop by 5 degrees a week" is too conservative. By week 3 I'm preparing to remove heat entirely, and that's with non-tropic temperatures.

This is a roundabout way of saying that they'll be fine at 80 degrees.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I personally feel the "95 week one, drop by 5 degrees a week" is too conservative. By week 3 I'm preparing to remove heat entirely, and that's with non-tropic temperatures.

This is a roundabout way of saying that they'll be fine at 80 degrees.

I don’t know how cool you are able to keep the area where you are keeping the brooder? That has a big influence on things. If you are keeping them inside your house with the a/c blowing at 65-70 you need leave some heat on them at night for a few more days - and this is because you have had them in this type situation per say in case you might have because chicks are hardy but we are often spoiling them these days since bringing them home without broody hens and keeping them inside for weeks on end. They are meant to be outside animals in the barn with all the rest of the livestock in the coop. So having said that if inside. Leave the night heat on for a few more nights only then spruce up their bedding to give them extra padding and warmth then turn it off. They will huddle together some yes but that should be okay. They are getting some feathering by now and they take comfort puking altogether and heat. They will do this for weeks. I have nine hens at ten weeks old living in Mississippi where it’s just as hot and humid as the tropics and mine love to still be able to pile together and sleep outside in their run. Hard to believe. We get bad tornadoes here quite frequently and I bring them to our basement if really bad. I leave their brooder kennel ready for them and they get into it just fine and pile together. If they are separated they fuss and put up a ruckus like you wouldn’t believe. 9 hens- three different breeds, three of each Kind and you would have thought they came from the same broody hen! However, there is no doubt in their mind or mine who is “Mama!”

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don’t know how cool you are able to keep the area where you are keeping the brooder? That has a big influence on things. If you are keeping them inside your house with the a/c blowing at 65-70 you need leave some heat on them at night for a few more days - and this is because you have had them in this type situation per say in case you might have because chicks are hardy but we are often spoiling them these days since bringing them home without broody hens and keeping them inside for weeks on end. They are meant to be outside animals in the barn with all the rest of the livestock in the coop.

I brood outdoors (rain or shine) as soon as I get them (2-3 days old) so they acclimate to cooler temperatures naturally. My latest chicks were weaned off heat at 27 days with lows of 48 degrees... originally planned to turn off the heat at 25 days but we had a big rainstorm coming so I wanted that to pass first.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I brood outdoors (rain or shine) as soon as I get them (2-3 days old) so they acclimate to cooler temperatures naturally. My latest chicks were weaned off heat at 27 days with lows of 48 degrees... originally planned to turn off the heat at 25 days but we had a big rainstorm coming so I wanted that to pass first.

Okay. Well what are your temps outside in the tropics now? I’m a little confused.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Okay. Well what are your temps outside in the tropics now? I’m a little confused.

I'm not in the tropics. My location says Pac NW. OP is in the "tropics" (not sure where).

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I'm not in the tropics. My location says Pac NW. OP is in the "tropics" (not sure where).

Well I am so sorry about that. It does explain things considerably. Now let’s let me regroup my brain some. So sorry.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well I am so sorry about that. It does explain things considerably. Now let’s let me regroup my brain some. So sorry.

It's ok, it's 1 AM for me and I'm just trying to slog through the forums before bed lol. All I was trying to do was reassure OP that their chicks should be fine in the temperatures they posted.