Chilled Chick, need suggestions...

[NorthernAZchickens]

Last night we put our 21 chicks out in the coop for the first time. We put a nice heat lamp in to help them stay warm. Last night in was in the low 50's. This morning one of our top hats (3 weeks old) huddled agaist the wall and not the heater....

never mind, wife just called and he past away...

Thats a bummer.

Ideas on how to get them to stay under the light and not in a corner away from the heat lamp?

 

[aidenbaby]

How old are your chicks? Is the coop draft-proof? Do they have free run of the entire coop? How big is it?

It's weird that they may have been cold and didn't go towards the lamp. The only solution I could really think of is to fence them off towards the lamp for a bit but then you run the risk of overheating them.

 

[Backyard Farm]

I am wondering if they were just scared about the new environment.

I've noticed that if they are scared they don't necessarily stay under the light for warmth.

.... maybe give me a smaller area at first.... or let them stay out for short periods of time and then warmed up again by either putting them back in the brooder where they were before or enclosing them in a smaller area in their new environment with the light at one end.

....maybe if they seem to be walking about during the day and spending time under the lamp getting warm, then just bring them in at night for a few nights.

Perhaps your little fellow was weakened by being crushed in the pile rather than or in addition to being cold. ... they will pile when scared.

So sorry for your loss..

 

[NorthernAZchickens]

The chicks run from 1 1/2 weeks old to 5 weeks old. The one that past away was 3 1/2 weeks old. The coop is 6 feet by 4 feet and pretty draft free. It is also closed off from the run so they just stay in the coop all day and night. When the went to bed and when I got up this morning they were spread out throughout the coop. Not a single one sleep directly under the light.

My fear is that I had the light too high and they couldn't feel its direct heat. I was more worried about cooking them then chilling them. It is getting about to 90 and I didn't want a heat lamp cooking them during the day...

I'm thinking of lowering the heat lamp and then also sticking them in a closed off area under the lamp at night.

 

[aidenbaby]

I'd think about lowering it and then turning it off during the day if the weather is going to be hot.

 

[NorthernAZchickens]

Thanks, I'll lower it and I've got it on a timer to turn off around noon and turn back on around 6 pm. Also, maybe I'll just block off the corners and the places furthest from the lamp.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

Oh - poor thing.

I put my 6 wk olds out with their stock tank brooder with the heat lamp angled toward it. They do have a roost as well but still choose to use the stock tank. Some roost on the top, some sleep in the shavings down in, some roost on the 2 x 6 I have sitting on top of the stock tank.

Good luck with your little ones.

 

[Backyard Farm]

I always try to position the light so that they can get away from the heat if they wish and return to a warmer spot when they feel the need.


some of your young babies will need a little higher temp than the older ones so maybe adjust height and position so that directly under the light you have 80-85 degrees and away from the light 70 or less.


If the space is small enough(4 x 6 is probably too big for the youngest ones, especially with only one light), and they are not scared, I find the chicks move around as they need warmth.

Sometimes even older ones will go under the light for awhile. I suspect that they hang out in chilly areas and then come under the lamp to get warm and then return to the chilly areas.

.... kinda like me and my wood stove in winter..

sure hope you don't loose any more babies.. so sad.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Sounds like some sort of barrier to keep them closer to the light might be in order. I'm sorry for your loss...

 

[astylishgirl]

This may be a really dumb suggestion, but it worked for me last night. One of my tiny qual babies got wet and was cold and limp. I got a blow dryer and gently blue warm air on her. I would blow on her for a few seconds and then take it off of her. She perked up and started preening. Of course, she was wet, but that really helped. The heat lamp hadn't made a difference.

Thank you to the wonderful quail person who suggested this last night!