heat in brooder

My suggestion continues to be that beginners start with twice or three times as large a box than what they typically choose.

Most beginners simply choose too small a box/tub. The odds of cooking the chicks is too high. The need for 95-100 within a warm house is a myth. Chicks need a warm (85-90) spot, but they also need much cooler areas to which to move and cool themselves. Most small tubs, heated by a huge wattage lamp, will provide no way for the chicks to self-regulate their body heat.

They won't like the heat much higher than 80 by week 3, which comes very, very quickly.
 
while building my chix tractor my table saw motor went bad. New saw required. So the large cardboard box that the saw came in is now my brooder.( So I got the chicks earlier then planned). I have it in the shed with a step latter over it, a 2x4 across the latter legs holds the lamps ( using two reg. 8" clamp on lamps, one with 100w and the other with a 40 watt bulb)one lamp at one end and the other lamp at the far end of the box. I drilled two holes in each reflector and with "s" hooks and jack chain suspended the lamps. I use two cheap thermometers, one in each end of the box.
The temp. range has been from the low 80's to about 96. The chicks don't seem to care if the temp is in the mid 80's or low 90's. However when the temp gets near 98, they lay down on the bedding not moving much, so I turn off one of the lamps. I find that when one end is around 91 and the other end is around 85, they will congregate at the lower temp end. They have never huddled or piled up, generally they are spread out from one end to the other. they have never made a lot of noise like they are uncomfortable either hot or cold. Here, near Ocala Fl. we've had several days of 90 degree weather, and the shed temp it about 87, so I turn the lamps off. they seem to like it around the high 80's. when its in the mid 90's they don't move around much. I worry about them in the early morning and the temp has dropped to around 60, and Tue. it's supposed to get down to 52. So in the morning I turn both lamps for a few hours until the shed warms up. so far so good, they are 5 days old. eating and drinking .
Not so sure that temp in the 90's is all that critical, my chicks seem to prefer temp in the mid to high 80's. When the temp is in the mid 90's they eem to get lackadaisical and lay on their bellies.
so now i'm worried abut the temp this summer in the chix tractor, I put a thermometer in there yesterday and the temp was in the high 90's and the tractor is in the shade while I'm working on it. I have air vents low and high. maybe a fan on the high vent to help exhaust the hot air.
My great Danes are very curious about them; they will look down into the brooder box and stare at them, supervised of course.
Sorry for the run on..and..on and..on
 
Fred's Hens :

My suggestion continues to be that beginners start with twice or three times as large a box than what they typically choose.

Most beginners simply choose too small a box/tub. The odds of cooking the chicks is too high. The need for 95-100 within a warm house is a myth. Chicks need a warm (85-90) spot, but they also need much cooler areas to which to move and cool themselves. Most small tubs, heated by a huge wattage lamp, will provide no way for the chicks to self-regulate their body heat.

They won't like the heat much higher than 80 by week 3, which comes very, very quickly.

Agree! My chicks are 2-3 weeks old and the past three days I have had to turn the heat bulbs completly off! They are out in the shed and the outside temps were in the 80's- needless to say they were HOT! They have only been getting the lamp at night. The only chicks I have left the lamp completly on is the 1 week old silkies (but there are only 9 of them)

You also have to account for body heat. If you have quite a few chicks in one area they snuggle when a bit chilly- you don't want to overheat them.​
 
i have my chicks in a huge cardboard box(4 boxes zip tied together) in our shop and it can get pretty warm i don't have the light on the big girls anymore and have actually left the door open this weekend so they could enjoy the breeze since they are 6 weeks old and the temps haven't gotten below 70 in the shop and i'm just using a 100 watt bulb for the little ones since it's been staying so warm in the shop and when i use the heat lamp bulb i raise and lower it to control the temp according to the temp in the shop.
 
Agree totally with Fred's Hens and Barefoot Mom. Mine are about 5 days old, in a breezy coop, and I put the heat lamp on a timer yesterday so it goes off during the day as even at that age they were HOT. Only a few in a 5'x6' wire pen, so plenty of room to cool off. Early this AM they were already away from the heat, if they even went under it last night.
 

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