Giving little chicks a bit of night-time

[silkwormlady]

Have read in Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens that giving chicks a day "night" cycle is a good idea pretty soon in their little lives. Obvious - once I read that! So my question to all is: How did you all do that. Back to Storey's... it suggests turning off the heat lamp for 30 minutes out of a 24 hour cycle. I guess you'd have to drape the box to: 1. Allow the heat to stay in and 2. Make it dark enough to look like dark.
What have folks out there done? Mine are a week old, in a big box in our entryway on a table, thriving and I don't want to throw them for a loop!

So, help please

 

[City-Chickee]

I'm also curious what people do that use heat lamps.

We are using a Brinsea EcoGlow20, so it's constantly going.
I flip a normal lamp on beside their brooder at about 6:30am and shut it off at about 10:00pm.
They all lay down under the EcoGlow20 when I turn the light off, and I don't hear a peep out of them until I turn on the light in the morning.

So far that's been working great

 

[Ridgerunner]

Personally I don't worry about it and the chicks do fine.

 

[Blooie]

The best batch of chicks I've ever raised were raised with normal night and day cycles. They go to bed when the sun goes down and wake up when it comes back up.....they are strong, active during the day, and absolutely the calmest group of mixed chicks ever. They have a dark, warm place to sleep, to dash under for a quick warmup, and for security. The only difference between this and a broody hen is that this doesn't move! After all, a broody hen doesn't have lights on under her wings! Not a single peep out of them once the lights went out, and eager to start the day when the sun came up. Love it, but more importantly so do the chicks! Oh, and there was no fear when they went outside to live - they already knew the night cycle routine and weren't one bit upset by the dark like some chicks are when they first go out. I have two age groups in this batch - one week apart. The older chicks were out living in the run at 1 week old, the younger joined them the day we brought them home as day-old chicks. They are now 6 weeks and 5 weeks, respectively, and fully integrated with the flock. And the new group of day-olds are going out there to live today.

This video starts out dark.

 

[silkwormlady]

I am in Zone 5 so night time temps, and day for that matter don't let me have chicks outdoors, away from a brooder heat lamp for long.
My question then is: how to "fake" a light dark cycle in the circumstances we have? I wasn't clear about my quandary. If anyone has thoughts on this ... Help! I don't want them afraid of the dark come temperate weather

 

[Blooie]

I guess I didn't answer very clearly either, and I do apologize for that. I'm old, and easily confused.

My chicks have been outside since 11 of them were a week old and 4 of them were a day old. I live in Northern Wyoming, which I guess is Zone 4, so we are colder than your area. The third night they were outside it got down to 18 degrees. They are now 6 weeks and 5 weeks and they are thriving. Nights are still in the 20s. The only heat source out there for them is their heating pad cave. They've never experienced a heat lamp in their lives. Neither has the new batch of chicks which are going outside to live in another hour or so, as soon as daughter-in-law comes to collect the granddaughter I watch during the day. These new chicks are 5 days old and they just arrived yesterday.

By showing you the video I was giving you an option to try. It's nothing more than a wire frame, a heating pad with an "auto shut off" bypass switch, and a towel. They are kept comfortably warm without a heat lamp and without lights at night. I think this thread might do a better job of explaining it than I'm doing here.

Your chicks are a week old, so they would adapt to this system very well. All you are warming is the chicks - not the air, the bedding, the walls, the brooder box and everything around - and there is no light except the ambient light of the room. That gives them that natural day/night cycle you are rightfully looking for. These chicks have been calmer, easier to raise, and more confident right from the start than last year's chicks, raised the traditional way. It was also easier to introduce them to the other chickens and since they had known nothing but the cave, (imitation broody hen, as it were) and normal days and nights there was no training them to learn that without them freaking out. My first chicks froze in position the first time I ever turned the lights off on them, and then broke into a chorus of demanding peeps that I could hear in my room - and I'm even totally deaf in one ear! Not these. Lights go out, they go to sleep. And although the latest group has only been here one day, they did the same thing last night. Lights out, into the cave and they slept all night.

Here is the link to that thread. There are several other videos and lots of people with contributions to make in that thread. I get what you're trying to do because I think normal day/night cycles are important too. And I also understand your hesitancy to put them out. If you don't want to, you certainly don't have to. This method works as well indoors as it does outside and accomplishes the same thing you're trying to do.

Edited to add the link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rooder-picture-heavy-update/250#post_15077445

 

[JaceAgain]

You might be overthinking it, Ive never had a problem with my chicks and a heat lamp. Ive had chicks in a brooder/ constant light/lamp set up, and chicks raised with mama in the coop, and they are the same.

However, if you are worried theyd get too cold in that 30 minutes of no lamp, stuff some socks with rice and microwave them, they can snuggle onto those.

 

[aatx]

When I brooded inside under a lamp, I switched to a ceramic reptile bulb pretty quickly. It does not emit any light. The room they were in didn't get a lot of natural light, so I added a LED lamp (no heat) on a timer that came on during the day when the sun would be up.

 

[silkwormlady]

Hey Blooie, What a great idea about Mama Heating Pad. I did go to the link you provided and have gotten a wealth of information. I am loving the pics of happy babies! In an easy set-up (once it's pointed out) that so closely mimics how hey'd be living in a coop with their broody hen! I am beyond thrilled to see this and have your experience lead me down a sensible path!!! I'd add emoticons but am working on a tablet that doesn't allow me to get to those. Just as well! You can have it in your imagination me hopping around, crowing, peeping happy peeps. Only boo-hoo is I couldn't get to video to open. I'll try when I'm home and can use my laptop. Right now I'm with an artist's group at one of our exhibit/sales. I am the lady who works in silk. Hence my moniker: sillwormlady!
Thanks again!

 

[Blooie]

Hey Blooie, What a great idea about Mama Heating Pad. I did go to the link you provided and have gotten a wealth of information. I am loving the pics of happy babies! In an easy set-up (once it's pointed out) that so closely mimics how hey'd be living in a coop with their broody hen! I am beyond thrilled to see this and have your experience lead me down a sensible path!!! I'd add emoticons but am working on a tablet that doesn't allow me to get to those. Just as well! You can have it in your imagination me hopping around, crowing, peeping happy peeps. Only boo-hoo is I couldn't get to video to open. I'll try when I'm home and can use my laptop. Right now I'm with an artist's group at one of our exhibit/sales. I am the lady who works in silk. Hence my moniker: sillwormlady!
Thanks again!

I'm so glad you took the time to run over there and take a look. I now have my third Mama Heating Pad going and these chicks are doing every bit as well as previous ones have done!