First time brooder

[Huntmaster]

X2 everything else looks great. Good luck with those littles

 

[ChickenB12]

What is the temperature inside the shed without the heat lamp?

Because of the way it's set up right now, there is nowhere at all for the chicks to get away from heat. If you must use a heat lamp due to ambient temperatures, I'd remove the plate and place the heat lamp over one side of the brooding box. The majority of the space inside the brooder should be 10F or more cooler than the spot right under the heat lamp. Water and food should be away from the heat.

It’s chilly in the shed, but it’s not freezing. I would say the temp is somewhere around 40-50 degrees. I was struggling to get the temp of the brooder up to 90 degrees

Thank you for the advice though, I’ll definitely make adjustments!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It’s chilly in the shed, but it’s not freezing. I would say the temp is somewhere around 40-50 degrees. I was struggling to get the temp of the brooder up to 90 degrees

Thank you for the advice though, I’ll definitely make adjustments!

So if it's down around 40 the plate may not work well without additional adjustments or the lamp bringing up the ambient temperature in the general area another 10 degrees or so. Check manufacturer instructions.

The brooder does not need to be 90. There should be a spot that's 90 (which would be the plate, or a decent sized area under the lamp about the size of the plate), but it's better that the rest of the brooder be at a lower temperature. Higher temps can contribute to pasty butt. I brood outdoors at around mid 40s to mid 60s with only a heating pad, so the chicks are free to walk away from heat if they don't want it.

 

[Huntmaster]

temp of the brooder up to 90 degrees

You do not want the whole brooder 90 degrees. Just one end or spot that number of chicks can fit under. You need a cool end. If you feel more comfortable using both heat sources, I would move the light over the heat plat end raising it to just warm area around plate.

 

[Huntmaster]

So if it's down around 40 the plate may not work well without additional adjustments or the lamp bringing up the ambient temperature in the general area another 10 degrees or so. Check manufacturer instructions.

The brooder does not need to be 90. There should be a spot that's 90 (which would be the plate, or a decent sized area under the lamp about the size of the plate), but it's better that the rest of the brooder be at a lower temperature. Higher temps can contribute to pasty butt. I brood outdoors at around mid 40s to mid 60s with only a heating pad, so the chicks are free to walk away from heat if they don't want it.

Read my mind

 

[ChickenB12]

So if it's down around 40 the plate may not work well without additional adjustments or the lamp bringing up the ambient temperature in the general area another 10 degrees or so. Check manufacturer instructions.

The brooder does not need to be 90. There should be a spot that's 90 (which would be the plate, or a decent sized area under the lamp about the size of the plate), but it's better that the rest of the brooder be at a lower temperature. Higher temps can contribute to pasty butt. I brood outdoors at around mid 40s to mid 60s with only a heating pad, so the chicks are free to walk away from heat if they don't want it.

Okay you and huntmaster are amazing. Thank you. I just went and checked on them. They are under the lamp so the plate might not be working correctly as you mentioned. It’s 87 degrees in that spot. I’ll make the necessary adjustments and move the lamp over the plate like you suggested they were sleeping and looked quite content not piled up on each other but not too spread out either.

The rest of the brooder was quite a bit cooler when I stuck my hand in trying not to disturb them