Does anyone turn the heat off?

[tiny529]

My chicks are in a spare room in the house (also where my computer is). It's getting really hot in here and I'm starting to notice that the chicks are panting and pulling their wings away from their bodies. Would it be better to turn off the lamp and keep the door closed to keep in the heat or would it be better to keep the heat lamp on and open the door to let some cooler air in? I don't want the chicks to get a chill since keeping the door open will let the air conditioning in but I don't want them to be miserably hot either. I envision coming in tomorrow morning to 6 little melted puddles containing a few tufts of feathers each.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
In the house, I use a 100w regular light bulb....

 

[tiny529]

Bah... Now they tell me!

I went by all of the books and got this 250w red heat lamp. I'm dying in here! We don't have any 100w bulbs (are they even going to sell regular bulbs for much longer???) I guess I'll just keep the door open. It already feels a little better in here.

 

[darkmatter]

I now use a round brooder made out of a stock tank and put the light in the center. The chicks find their "comfort zone". Sometimes they are sleeping in a circle around the "spot light" in the center. You can reduce the heat by raising the lamp or installing a lower wattage bulb. You will learn to "hear" the chicks peeping and know things are good or know to change something---heat, food, water.

 

[kera!]

if the room stays warm and they dont act cold dont use a light... I go off what the chicks act like usually...

 

[BoltonChicken]

I go off what the chicks act like usually...

Now that is good advice. You don't say how old your chicks are, but the rule of thumb is to decrease the ambient temp in their coop 5 degrees for every week of age.
You start at around 90 degrees the first week and lower it 5 degrees per week. So if they are three weeks old 75 degrees room temperature is plenty warm.

If they are acting hot they are. If they are huddled up for warmth, then it is too cold.​

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

I only use it at night, during the day the house is warm enough & they are outside part of the day. Mine are 3 & 5 weeks old.

 

[kimmybee]

i use lamp at night in spare room, but we keep our air down to 73 in the day it goes off as we are in AZ and it is hot, they seem to be fine, if they gather away from the lamp I know it is too hot, but it seems to be fine at night with AC on and red lamp not directly pointing at them.

 

[tiny529]

Mine were just hatched on Monday, so they are still really young. Raising the lamp wouldn't do much good as the whole room is cooking.

I did just open the door so the cool air can come in. It's still warm in here but much more comfortable. So far, no one has been complaining. All of the sounds are soft and mellow. But the panting and wing drooping made me know that they were getting too hot. The door has been open for a couple of hours now and everyone looks much less wilted.

 

[Flawedatdesign]

I know wally world still has 100w bulbs not a big selection of incandescent bulbs any more. 94 cents for 4