Can I turn my heat lamp off ? 15 day old chicks!

[Ma_biscuit]

So I have 15 day old chicks in a brooder in my garage. The temperature tomorrow is supposed to be 63-65 degrees at 6 am when I leave for work and a high of 100. I’ve been keeping a heat lamp on them but by the afternoon my garage is so warm from the outside temperature that if I was home I would turn off the lamp and put the girls outside in their coop/run. I’m wondering if they would be ok if I just turned off the lamp off when I leave in the morning? There would be a couple hours where the temp would be low like 65 -75 degrees but slowly get warmer throughout the afternoon. There would be would be no drafts. I also have a brooder plate heater but it takes up half the brooder and it too gets hot and they would have to hang out all the way to one side of brooder. I could also raise the heat lamp higher too I guess. I have a feeling they will be fine without a heat source but I don’t want to assume and hurt my babies. It was easier with my existing flock cause I got them in March so I didn’t have to deal with hot summer days. I could also put them in the house in a plastic tub cause the house would be warm enough too. I don’t have ac. What would you do?

 

[muddy75]

So I have 15 day old chicks in a brooder in my garage. The temperature tomorrow is supposed to be 63-65 degrees at 6 am when I leave for work and a high of 100. I’ve been keeping a heat lamp on them but by the afternoon my garage is so warm from the outside temperature that if I was home I would turn off the lamp and put the girls outside in their coop/run. I’m wondering if they would be ok if I just turned off the lamp off when I leave in the morning? There would be a couple hours where the temp would be low like 65 -75 degrees but slowly get warmer throughout the afternoon. There would be would be no drafts. I also have a brooder plate heater but it takes up half the brooder and it too gets hot and they would have to hang out all the way to one side of brooder. I could also raise the heat lamp higher too I guess. I have a feeling they will be fine without a heat source but I don’t want to assume and hurt my babies. It was easier with my existing flock cause I got them in March so I didn’t have to deal with hot summer days. I could also put them in the house in a plastic tub cause the house would be warm enough too. I don’t have ac. What would you do?

you may want to unplug it an hour or so before you leave and check their behavior.....they should be fine, but if they have room to move away when it warms up, but still huddle under it in the morning.....you may consider using a lower wattage bulb instead of turning it off completely

 

[TheOddOneOut]

No, they shouldn’t have it off for more than an hour at that age. If house temp is above 80 they may be okay but otherwise, better safe than sorry.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd use the brooder plate and ditch the light completely. At least it gives the chicks the option to have heat if they need it, and to not use it at all if they don't.

Is the garage insulated at all? When it's 100F outside, is it also 100F in the garage or hotter than that? Overheating is an issue for chickens in general.

 

[yakitori]

you can put the lamps on a timer, or use a thermostat controller...

 

[Crazy Maizie]

My brooder was never at the recommended temps. It was always about 75-78 under the lamp. I didn't use a heat lamp, but a reptile lamp. My chicks did fine. But, any time I tested anything (like lamp off), I did it when I could observe them. I agree with the above, if it's going to be 100 outside, how are you regulating the chicks temps inside the garage?
I also took my chicks outside and let them brood outside in an area set up for them when the temps were warm enough and then brought them inside at night.

 

[BDutch]

you can put the lamps on a timer, or use a thermostat controller...

A timer is cheap and simple. Check the time it gets warm enough on a weather app. And switch it off half an hour before it gets around 80F in the coop. Adjust it every day if you’re weather changes a lot.

A schedule in Celcius temps : Normally you use a schedule of 2 degrees lower every week (first week 30 degrees) so that they can go without a lamp for 6 weeks (about 20 degrees, in the summer equal to outside temp.). They need heat 24 hours a day, until a week after they grow feathers.

A group of chicks can warm each other in a mild climate in summer after about 5 - 6 weeks. But 3 chicks is a very small group.

 

[3KillerBs]

I did this regularly with my Ideal Dozen, turning off the light before I went to work when it was expected to be in the 90's well before noon (they were in an outdoor brooder). They had a huddle box if they needed it but on the days I was home I rarely saw them under the light in the daytime at that age.

It's no guarantee, but that's my experience with this batch. Maybe you could turn the lamp off early on the weekend and monitor their behavior and the ambient temperature while you're home?

you may consider using a lower wattage bulb instead of turning it off completely

Yes. I was down to a 40W reptile bulb even overnight on week 4-5 -- and that only because my Langshan boys were slow to feather.

 

[5 Points Wingfeather]

I’m in a similar situation. Chicks are almost 2 weeks old. 94 in daytime and 74 at night. I’ve been keeping it on at night but I’m really not sure how much they need it

 

[Tonyroo]

At 3 weeks you don't need heat. My own chicks are brooding outside, I took there heat away from them yesterday, today was there 3rd week. There doing fine and I only have 6 chicks.