Brooder temperature question

[yakitori]

I think it really depends on how many you have, and where you are. I used the lamp to heat up a wall of the brooder from the outside for the first 3 weeks, and as time progressed, they used that wall less and less. After 3 weeks my 8 birds seemed to not need it anymore, which was when I removed the lamp. Nights were mostly around 75, with the lowest being 69 (iirc), they seemed to keep each other warm well enough. I think brooder size will affect heat retention too. I‘d say watch your birds’ behavior and proceed to make little adjustments from there.

Im a first time owner though, so you should probably take my experience with a grain of salt.

 

[My2butterflies]

My chicks and turkeys are off heat during the day and have been since they were 2wks old. We are on week three now. I do provide heat at night since they got moved outside and our night time temps are in the 60’s.
My guineas are inside still(same age, 3wks) and they are completely off heat. My house has no ac, so they get a gradual temp swing day to night. Just not as much of a swing since I close the windows in their room in the evenings.
Ive never gone by the degree drop rules. I just watch them and adjust accordingly. If they huddle and pile on each other they are too cold and need some heat. If they try to avoid the light they are too hot. Open wings and panting will also clue you in on them being too warm.
I do also think it’s better to keep them cooler then too hot. Heat can kill pretty fast.

 

[PopoMyers]

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.

What is your outdoor brooder setup? I just got some chicks and wasn't sure how to go about the outdoor brood. Heat lamp, right? Currently have them in a big tote inside. I'm in Pac NW, as well. Seems a bit cold outdoors right now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What is your outdoor brooder setup? I just got some chicks and wasn't sure how to go about the outdoor brood. Heat lamp, right? Currently have them in a big tote inside. I'm in Pac NW, as well. Seems a bit cold outdoors right now.

Nope, no heat lamp. Details on my brooder here, including how I set up a mama heating pad and deal with integration: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[gtaus]

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.

I think you would be fine. Like always, just watch the chicks' behavior for signs of discomfort and adjust accordingly.

BTW, I live in northern Minnesota, and when I wean my chicks off the heat lamps, I will either raise the lamps and/or use lower wattage bulbs. In my case, I prefer to use a lower wattage bulb to save a little money.

@GC-Raptor, I like the idea of using that dimmer switch on an extension cord. I'm putting that on my short list.

 

[raingarden]

I start them out at 100F on hatch day and then do whatever they tell me. It's good to have plenty of space so they can choose whether to use the heat or not.

One of those infared temp guns is handy for checking temperatures of the bedding.
https://smile.amazon.com/Klein-Tool...7175720&sprefix=infrared+temp,aps,2016&sr=8-3

 

[gtaus]

One of those infared temp guns is handy for checking temperatures of the bedding.

That would work. I brood my chicks out in my unheated, but attached, garage. The garage can get down in the 30F's at night. I keep a remote temperature sensor under the heat lamp. I can read the temp on the remote sensor while at the brooder, but more importantly, I can see the temperature reading on my base display inside the house. My base display also lets me set both high and low temp warnings, which I like for brooding the chicks.

Life must be a lot easier to brood chicks in the tropics. Probably only need extra heat for the first few weeks. If OP is sitting at 80F outside temp, probably no need for any extra heat at all for the brooder. I had to keep heat on my springtime chicks for a full 8 weeks until their feathers came in good.

 

[PopoMyers]

Nope, no heat lamp. Details on my brooder here, including how I set up a mama heating pad and deal with integration: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

Thank you, something to aim for, fantastic article! Seems a bit cold, still, don't you think? Wish it was in the high 40's at night right now.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you, something to aim for, fantastic article! Seems a bit cold, still, don't you think? Wish it was in the high 40's at night right now.

Right now, it'd be on the border for me. Some folks have done mama heating pads outdoors down in the 20s, but because my brooder is on the ground outside and quite ventilated I wouldn't be comfortable with testing whether very young chicks could stay warm enough in my set up, in close to freezing temps.

 

[Blooie]

Right now, it'd be on the border for me. Some folks have done mama heating pads outdoors down in the 20s, but because my brooder is on the ground outside and quite ventilated I wouldn't be comfortable with testing whether very young chicks could stay warm enough in my set up, in close to freezing temps.

Now, you know me! Mine do amazingly well in our Wyoming springtime temperatures….20s, occasionally dropping into the teens. I’m perfectly comfortable raising them outdoors with Mama Heating Pad, letting them decide for themselves when they need a quick warm-up. My brooder is just a wire enclosure, on the ground, in the covered run. They still follow the pattern of needing less and less heat by 3 weeks and being off all heat by 4 weeks. At the end of that 4th week we remove the brooder pen completely.

That said, each owner needs to decide if they are willing to do that. We all have our personal comfort zones, and we all need to do what falls within our comfort zones. For some that’s a blazing heat lamp for weeks and weeks. <shudder> For others it’s just a wool hen. I am perfectly comfortable putting chicks out under a heating pad. If I couldn’t do do that, I’d never raise another chick.