Chicks bed time too late?

[Tortoise]

They don't need a heat lamp with the plate and unless you have them in a room with no windows/natural light, they don't need the lights on either. Chickens know when to go to bed when it gets dark and wake up when it gets light.

They are doing great with the way it's set up with heat pad and light. That I wont change.
The room has windows but does not give enough light. My temps in the house are 70 and 65 at night. Plus they are on the floor. With the set up they are very active, fairly quiet and never trying to get out of the heat. Tried just the heat pad and it was too cold. At night they have just the heat pad.

 

[imnukensc]

There are folks here, including me, who have brooded chicks outside with a heat plate at temps in the 30s. Your heat plate is not too cold (unless it's malfunctioning) nor is the ambient temperature of your house, but do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

There are folks here, including me, who have brooded chicks outside with a heat plate at temps in the 30s. Your heat plate is not too cold (unless it's malfunctioning) nor is the ambient temperature of your house, but do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

The OP is a better judge of how the chicks are doing than someone who can't see them. Everyone figures out what works best for their situation. No one way is ever the best for everyone.

 

[imnukensc]

The OP is a better judge of how the chicks are doing than someone who can't see them. Everyone figures out what works best for their situation. No one way is ever the best for everyone.

That's why I told the OP, "do whatever makes you feel comfortable."

 

[Tortoise]

The OP is a better judge of how the chicks are doing than someone who can't see them. Everyone figures out what works best for their situation. No one way is ever the best for everyone.

It's all good. I know everyone has their way of making it work. It's a matter of taking in all advice and picking and choosing what works for the individual situation. The heat plate is probably good as of now, I have had them 2 weeks and they were a few days old. It only gets too 85 under it and everything I read said they should start at 95 for 2 weeks then every week down 5 degrees until 6 weeks. When I first got them they were afraid to go under it, so I left the heat light on for a couple days until I got them comfortable going under it. Then I tried only using the plate day and night and they just didnt seem very active. So I turned the heat light back on and gave them a light bulb for more light and they seemed very happy and active. I did though only give the plate for night time but I close the top up so the heat stays in better. As it gets warmer outside later this week, I will be able to eliminate the heat bulb altogether.