Do the newly hatched chicks need light all the time?

[NBaid]

Im still new to this so idk, basically i have a light that gives heat to the newly hatched chicks in the brooder but idk if i need to turn it off or not so they can sleep but if i turn it off they dont got any heat source cuz its pretty cold here atm

 

[Jener8or]

Yes, keep the light on. It should be about 95*F for the first week and decrease the temp about 5 degrees per week. Keeping the light on will be fine (they will sleep through it). The red ones are supposedly a little more calming and they are able to sleep with them better (but I have used both and don't notice *too* much of a difference.)

 

[FrostRanger]

Light? No, they don't require 24/7 light. Heat? Yes, they do require a heat source at all times for the first few weeks. If you're using a heat lamp leave it on, if you're using a heat plate, you can turn off the light at night. Chicks don't need a specific temp per se, they just need a place they can get warm if needed and a place to get away if it's too hot. They'll let you know if they're uncomfortable. If they're too cold you'll hear them from across the house and if they're too hot they'll be panting

 

[Jener8or]

Just remember to use all safety precautions with those heat lamps (make sure it can't fall--double secure it), make sure it is well clear of any combustibles, check that the bulb is in securely, use the bulb guard thingies if your heat lamp has them and check the temp (of the bedding material below) with a thermometer.

If you can find a brooder plate, they may not be foolproof, but I recommend using that.

 

[K0k0shka]

This is why brooder plates are so much better than lamps. Chicks need a normal day-night cycle where it's light during the day, and dark at night. But they have to put up with constant light, because the heat lamps provide both heat and light at the same time and you can't decouple the two at night (when the chicks still need heat, but don't need light). Heat lamps are more convenient and cheaper especially on a large scale at farms, but they aren't optimal for the chicks themselves (because farms generally don't care about what's best for the animal, they care about the bottom line). So don't unplug the light at night if you don't have another heat source. But if you can get (or make) a brooder plate, that would be a much more natural, and much safer, option (heat lamps are notorious for starting fires, while brooder plates are not).

 

[FrostRanger]

Just remember to use all safety precautions with those heat lamps (make sure it can't fall--double secure it), make sure it is well clear of any combustibles, check that the bulb is in securely, use the bulb guard thingies if your heat lamp has them and check the temp (of the bedding material below) with a thermometer.

If you can find a brooder plate, they may not be foolproof, but I recommend using that.

This. It's all too easy to start a fire with a heat lamp if you aren't super careful. I used a heat lamp for like a day and then went and brought a brooder plate as the heat lamp was too finiky to get right, especially since it was summer, the chicks were too hot and the room was too hot for the humans. It's more expensive but it's better and safer for everyone involved

 

[ShotgunDog]

First time chicken owner here, but I'll give my opinion anyway. I used a brooder plate, but gave my chicks dimmed-down light at night. They REALLY hated being in complete dark at night when they were tiny peeps. Over the weeks, as I raised the height on the brooder plate, I also reduced the amount of light at night (and built up their little perches in their brooder cage higher each week as well). So when they were fully feathered out, they had a true night/day cycle, and had started to roost as well.

 

[FrostRanger]

First time chicken owner here, but I'll give my opinion anyway. I used a brooder plate, but gave my chicks dimmed-down light at night. They REALLY hated being in complete dark at night when they were tiny peeps. Over the weeks, as I raised the height on the brooder plate, I also reduced the amount of light at night (and built up their little perches in their brooder cage higher each week as well). So when they were fully feathered out, they had a true night/day cycle, and had started to roost as well.

Most chicks will peep a bit when you turn off the light, they'll settle after a few minutes though. The sudden change just surprises them. I just let mine work it out and they do

 

[K0k0shka]

Most chicks will peep a bit when you turn off the light, they'll settle after a few minutes though. The sudden change just surprises them. I just let mine work it out and they do

Exactly. The sudden bright to dark shift is jarring to anybody, if that's how you do it. If they were outside with a broody, they'd be stuffed under her where it's pitch black, and they'd be nice and quiet.

What I do when I'm brooding chicks indoors (always with a plate) is I turn the room light off way before the sun starts to set (if I even have it on at all). Then I let the ambient light go down gradually with the setting sun. That way it's not jarring to the chicks, and, as a bonus, it teaches them to know when it's a good time to head under for bedtime - when it's just light enough for them to see what they're doing, but dim enough to trigger their going to bed instinct. This will be important later on when you take them outside to the coop and expect them to know when to go inside for bed. They need to have a good sense of how dark it needs to be for them to go in. A lot in a chicken's life is guided by the level of light - from sleep/wake cycles, to the egg laying cycle, and even molting! Let them be guided by the natural light as much as possible.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Im still new to this so idk, basically i have a light that gives heat to the newly hatched chicks in the brooder but idk if i need to turn it off or not so they can sleep but if i turn it off they dont got any heat source cuz its pretty cold here atm

Your basic question is whether they need access to heat at night. Yes they do. Baby chicks cannot regulate their heat until they are fully feathered out, which is typically around 4 to 5 weeks of age. Until then they need a place they can go to if they need to warm up. At the same time they do not need to be too hot. They can handle having some cold areas as long as they have a warm spot to go to when they need it.

Chickens can sleep with the light on. You'll often see them sleeping in the middle of the day, it does not have to be dark. A lot of chicks have been raised with constant incandescent lights for warmth. They may not see pure dark until after they are off of that light. There have been several threads on this forum about how scared the chicks were the first time they were in the dark. They are simply not used to it so are scared the first time or two. They quickly get used to it.

I do not like a heat lamp in an air conditioned/heated climate controlled house. Brooders tend to be too small so you cannot have a warm enough spot along with a cool enough spot. It is easy to overheat your chicks that way, let alone heat up your house. Heat plates or heating pads tend to work better in a climate controlled area than heat lamps.

My brooder is in the coop. Ambient temperature can be anywhere from below freezing to in the 90's Fahrenheit (low 30's C). I use a heat lamp. My brooder is large enough that I can keep one area toasty warm in the coldest of temperatures and yet the far end of the brooder is cool enough in heat waves. I vary the wattage of the bulb in the heat lamp to suit conditions.

I do not know what the area looks like where you have the brooder, inside a heated area or outside in the weather with its temperature swings. I don't know what is best for you. Heat lamps or other incandescent heating sources have been used for over 100 years to raise baby chicks. Like any tool if they are kept in good condition and used appropriately they can work well. If they are mis-used they can be a hazard.

Good luck!