Difficult time getting brooder to 95 degrees

Peruvian

Songster
11 Years
Apr 15, 2008
294
5
154
Vermont
I built a 2'x2'x6' brooder with 1"x1" and hardware cloth. It has a OSB bottom. I have two heat lamps going and decided to wrap it in Reflectex (insulating bubble wrap) as I can't seem to get the temp on my thermometer to 95 degrees as suggested for new chicks. The bottom is covered with pine shavings and paper towels. The chicks should arrive today or tomorrow and I'm a little worried that 85 degrees will be too cool for them. Any suggestions? Am I being paranoid?
 
Are you sure your thermometer is accurate? It took ours an hour to get to temp during our trial run. We found that we had to cover it with a blanket 1/2 way to keep the temps up. We just got a large watermelon box from wal-mart. I would buy an additional termometer just to be sure it's not TO hot. We only have one heat lamp and it's pretty toasty in our box. Our box is 39" X 49" and 25" high. I put another termometer in my box as I thought it warmed up to quickly! But it was right on.
 
Our brooder is in the garage. I've checked with two thermometers and they both seem to have similar readings. Interesting considering daytime temps in the high 60s, low 70s recently. Maybe I'll just keep an eye on the chicks when they arrive to make sure they aren't huddling too close.

Brooder2.jpg
 
I agree to a cover for one side...That's what I do with my big brooder box out in the garage...it will keep the heat in...
 
It only needs to be 95 right under the lamp-- the chicks will go where they are comfy. Get ahigher wattage bulb if it isn't warm enough dtrectly under it

Nancy
 
Thanks for the replies. I put a piece of wood over the lamps and then shrouded the rest with an old flannel sheet. The thermometer reads 95 now and I can just pull the sheet back if it gets too hot!
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I was really worried about this too- it's easy to fix though, and I've found that EXACT temp isn't as big an issue as moisture and drafts. The instructions that came with my chicks from McMurray said to just put a 250 watt bulb 18 inches from the chips. It will be hotter than 95 directly under the bulb, and cooler away from it. The chicks will find on their own where they like it. I followed that and it worked great for me. Only one loss out of 27, and I'm three weeks in. As a first time chicken owner, let me tell you that I was A LOT more worried before I got my chicks than I needed to be.
 

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