Brooder temperature

[theguineaman]

I have always gone with the idea that for the first week chicks should be at 95 degrees or so. Today I put my hatch, 8 chicks born yesterday, into the brooder and inserted a couple of my digital thermometers into the brooder at chick level. The chicks congregate at a spot that is 88 degrees. Does that maybe mean that 95 degrees for the first week is a bit of overkill?

 

[True Patriot]

I normally set up a warm end and a cool end, food/water somewhere in middle. This way they can migrate to where they feel comfortable on their own.

 

[ChickensAndYoga]

I have always used a 40 watt bulb in the corner of a homemade brooder. Half cover at night .And even in "winter" here we do get down in the 20s and it works fine. I also have a nursery coop outside and they get moved at 1 week old in with an adult hen who isn't a bit broody in the sense she will set..but is an amazing director of the home lol. Everyone gets moved by 1 week. In cooler months they still get moved and I created a redneck system for heat. Last winter I had 9 out on weeks worth of nights in the low 20s and everyone was fine.

Point?

I have ZERO idea of actual temps in any scenario lol But it works

 

[True Patriot]

I have always used a 40 watt bulb in the corner of a homemade brooder. Half cover at night .And even in "winter" here we do get down in the 20s and it works fine. I also have a nursery coop outside and they get moved at 1 week old in with an adult hen who isn't a bit broody in the sense she will set..but is an amazing director of the home lol. Everyone gets moved by 1 week. In cooler months they still get moved and I created a redneck system for heat. Last winter I had 9 out on weeks worth of nights in the low 20s and everyone was fine.

Point?

I have ZERO idea of actual temps in any scenario lol But it works

Totally true, hens have been raising chicks for a long time without thermometers.