Cornish Temperature in brooder

[aclee]

I have a couple cornish in my box that are sitting in the hottest spot, but panting. The box is much cooler in other areas, and I've tried moving them there, but they always go back, and lay flat like they are dead and pant. They have plenty of water. Should I lower the heat? They are 2 or 3 weeks old, and the temp varies a little between 80-90 degrees I would say. There are some in there that are between 1-2 weeks though, and are not as feathered in as these couple. Some of the other older chicks in this box have the same amount, or more feathers though, and they either stay in the cooler end, or are in the warm end, but not panting. Just these couple get into the hottest spot, curl up with the smaller chicks and just pant and pant.

Suggestions?

 

[CARS]

It sounds like you know what is wrong. You have older chicks that are feathered with new borns that have no feathers. Can you set up a second brooder?? The new ones need to be around 85-90 degrees and the 3 week ones around 80.

And at 3 weeks, I pull the feed for 12 hours with the Cornish X's so they don't eat all day.

 

[aclee]

The chicks are about 4 days apart from hatch, it just happens that the four days difference seems to be all the feather growth! I spent about 10 minutes in there and kept moving the few that were hot away from the light, and they finally stopped panting and settled down to sleep.

I'm getting two very large shipping crates tomorrow and Sunday, so then we'll have more room. The problem I have now is I have 12 "older" chicks and 25 younger chicks, but the larger brooder is taller. The older chicks were in the smaller brooder, but they started trying to fly today, and I don't have screens on top. So I moved them back into the taller brooder, and put some of the small chicks into the smaller brooder.

Can't wait till tomorrow when I have the huge box. Not sure if I should put one light or two in there...

 

[CARS]

Quote:
Put a cheap $2.00 thermometer in there to tell you how many lights and the wattage needed. Accurate temps are quite important with chickens till they feather out completely.

 

[aclee]

Yeah I've got a thermometer now, but only one, so it moves between brooders because I wasn't expecting to have to split them into two brooders so young...If I have one really large brooder, should I have more than one so I know the temp of the hot spot and the other end? Or can I just judge by how the chicks are acting?

These Cornish grow so stinking fast...can't wait to get this large brooder tomorrow!

 

[CARS]

You would think that if the chicks are too hot they would move to a cooler area and if cold huddle under the light. Obviously chicks are not always smart. (kinda like kids doing dumb things, hopefully they learn from their mistakes)

A large brooder could be split in two, each with their own heat lamp at different heights.

I keep forgetting to look at where you live before I post. Here in MN it gets close to 50 right now and down in the 30's/upper 20's at night. I have a heck of a time brooding in this weather. I wait with the spendy chicks till late April so they are given a better chance.