Does anyone else think anything over 90* is excessive, not necessary?

[NatJ]

Personally I prefer chicks to be sleeping at night like they do under the broody. That's probably my sole reason for using a heating pad instead of a heat lamp.

My chicks with a heat lamp have always slept at night

And chicks under a broody make little peeping noises at night, so they are not sleeping soundly the whole time either.

 

[yakitori]

My chicks with a heat lamp have always slept at night

And chicks under a broody make little peeping noises at night, so they are not sleeping soundly the whole time either.

Oh, by heat lamp i mean those red ones that give off actual light, lol.

When I ran those, they didn’t have darkness, and the chicks were up and about at all hours of the day/night. I don’t have peace of mind when they are running around when I’m asleep, so I prefer them to be asleep as well.

I think all chickens, young or old makes sounds at night, especially when disturbed, but it is definitely a distinct state where they are at rest and not looking for food or water simply by virtue of not being able to see and navigate.

I’m not trying to say it’s better or worse or recommend anyone else do what I do, it’s just what I prefer when brooding, it’s very much a personal preference thing.

I’m pretty sure we also know that chicks can sleep anywhere and everywhere if they wanted to, lol!

(pics because this conversation made me miss my broody)

 

[NatJ]

Oh, by heat lamp i mean those red ones that give off actual light, lol.

That is what I meant, too: the heat lamps that use 250 watts of power and put out plenty of red light.

Whether they are brooded in the garage or outdoors, when I check on the chicks at night, they are sleeping.

When I brood outdoors, of course they have some sunlight during the day.
And when I brood in the garage, I turn on bright normal lights during the day.

I do not know how much the extra light during the day helps, but I DO know the chicks spend their days awake (between naps), and their nights asleep (possibly with midnight snacks, but I typically do not see any of them awake when I check during the night.)

 

[Crazy Maizie]

With my chicks, I used a reptile lamp due to the size of the brooder and the hatch size (2). I didn't want it over heating. But, the temps were never at the 90° mark or anywhere near it. I wasn't planning on brooding any inside, I was going to go the "wool hen" route with the temps and number that was supposed to hatch. But since I only got 2 out of the handful of eggs that I was given, I felt better letting them brood under a lamp with some heat. My example is nowhere near the capacity that some of you have had. But, with the chicks, my reptile heat lamp never got above 75° and that was directly under the lamp.
The outdoor temps at that time were in the 80s and 90s. So during the day, I had them outside in the run with the other chickens bit in their own area. I set up a "cave" with fleece (like the wool hen idea). I would put them back in the brooder in the late afternoon. They had a piece of fleece and they loved sleeping on that. They never seemed chilled and mine never got pasty butt.
I have also had a brood of week old ducklings. The way I set up the heat lamp, it was too far away to give a direct 90° under the heat lamp. When I measured where their bodies would be, it was more like 78°. But, I was afraid to have the lamp any closer for fear that the lamp wouldn't be secure enough and cause a fire. That would not have bode well with the husband if I burnt down his work shop.
With the ducklings they had a large kiddie pool and definitely had places to get warmer if needed.

I was so worried at first in both instances, but after reading great articles here as well as online research, my worries were relieved and I just let them be. I even read where some brooded in their house with just warm jars of water - no lamp, no electricity. I think most first timers are worried, but given the idea that nature is not as strict as humans are helps to alleviate the stress of brooding. The best tool to use when rearing animals is the tool of observation. When you observe that something is or is not working, then you can tweak it and go from there.

 

[yakitori]

That is what I meant, too: the heat lamps that use 250 watts of power and put out plenty of red light.

Whether they are brooded in the garage or outdoors, when I check on the chicks at night, they are sleeping.

When I brood outdoors, of course they have some sunlight during the day.
And when I brood in the garage, I turn on bright normal lights during the day.

I do not know how much the extra light during the day helps, but I DO know the chicks spend their days awake (between naps), and their nights asleep (possibly with midnight snacks, but I typically do not see any of them awake when I check during the night.)

Oh interesting, mine had the same routine night and day eat>poop>sleep>repeat lol. I also turn off the lights at night etc, but maybe the lights during the day isn’t bright enough? Now I’m curious about the root cause of the difference.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

If you broody one chick...85 isnt gonna be warm enough if theirs more then it would be fine but i dont even know what mine is at most of the time i just go by when they say if they peep there cold etc. I just brooded chicks in november and i had 7 and 85 would not be warm enough as the shed they are in is as cold as the outside

 

[Shezadandy]

We started off with the "Sweeter Heater" and I'd picked up a metal tub - well - the Sweeter Heater brought the upright metal tub to some horribly high number, so I wound up putting the metal tub on its side and making a big chick corral in a bedroom so there were cool areas (over white carpet, DH was THRILLED). It's amazing how little it takes to warm confined spaces. Classic "building the coop while raising chicks" error.

Then for the next batch (before I had the good fortune of many broody hens to choose from) I'd found Blooie's MHP thread and did that - both are good for having no added light and a darkened area for a nap etc.

Since then, if I have rescued feed store chicks (the ones suffering from being in the tub so long that it would kill your soul to leave them there) and no ready broody hen, feed store chicks go under the MHP and they-- without exception --- disappear for the day and night, sleeping like the dead because they are exhausted. Shipped chicks, by comparison, seem to come out ready to rock and roll.

Usually around the second-third week they've abandoned and somewhat outgrown my MHP, so we switch to the Sweeter Heater in the brooder area of the coop for the transition to nothing, that's when I usually find them sleeping away from the heat at night all piled together, but in the morning when they've had their first meal and stretched their little wings, they settle back in under the Sweeter Heater.

I will always go the broody route for planned additions because they seem to grow faster and of course learn the ways of the flock, and with a traveling heat source in the form of a broody hen they're weather protected and integrated without fuss.

 

[Chookwagn]

I dont think I have ever measured the temperature in my brooder..... I don't see the point.... I go by look and sounds.
I use a combination of heat lamp and heat pad.

 

[Chicken Heel]

After watching broody hens raise babies in all weather, all you really need is the warm draft free area. In fact a broody-less group would actually puppy pile in the cold area at night - it was only in the morning after eating and drinking that they would go back to the warming area. Mostly ... just watch and listen. If they won't go to the warm area, it's probably too hot. If there's distressed peeping, the warm area isn't warm enough. Except that one chick who learns distressed peeps bring you running with a nice warm hand to cuddle in. (then you're buggered)

I had one of my bantam hens hatch six chicks on Christmas Day and since then we have had temperatures range from 78 degrees F on New Years Day down to 10 degrees F several mornings in January. It has been quite amazing watching them with their mother the entire time. They have been the hardiest chicks I have ever had. And maybe I need to hatch more chicks in the winter because there is only one cockerel in the bunch.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Since then, if I have rescued feed store chicks (the ones suffering from being in the tub so long that it would kill your soul to leave them there) and no ready broody hen, feed store chicks go under the MHP and they-- without exception --- disappear for the day and night, sleeping like the dead because they are exhausted. Shipped chicks, by comparison, seem to come out ready to rock and roll.

You are awesome! This is precisely why I've concluded heat lamp heat isn't for me.... Every year I seem to see the dead or about to die chicks in the killing heat of galvanized tubs at feed stores before the workers do.... So sad.