HEAT LAMP OFF AT NIGHT IN BROODER?

[chixrus2013]

Wondering if any has tried turning the heat lamp off at night in brooder and just covering with a blanket. That was recommended to us at a "Chicken class" at our feed store by a woman who has had chickens all her life. She says she always shuts it off at night..covers them and lets them huddle together to sleep. Of course her brooder is in the house as is ours. Our baby chicks are 1 1/2 weeks old and they are never on the side of the lamp except to eat and drink. They hang out and sleep on the other side where the thermometer says its only around 80. They seem very comfortable...sleeping near one another but not huddled all on top of each other.

 

[farmer boy]

i do this with my chicks they are around the same age as yours and they also live in the house and they do fine they just huddle until morning ... my older chicks and 2 ducklings went and lived outside from when they were like 3 weeks old and they are doing fine they are now 4-5 weeks old

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I haven't when they are little. However, when I am starting to wean them from the lamp at about 5 weeks, I shut it off during the day and then leave it on a night then shut it off all together after about a week. (that is in the winter in summer it is more abrupt since it is not a huge temperature difference)

 

[Fred's Hens]

The risk is that temps lower than 70-75 cause them to really pile onto each other at that age. The smaller, weaker chicks may get smothered. The risk is real. Chicks of different sizes and differing muscle mass enhances this risk when they are young. I teach husbandry classes and I am very careful about saying things like this. For super young chicks, I heartily disagree about shutting the heat off at night. Shutting it off during warm days makes more sense than during cool nights.

I am a huge proponent of brooding in cool temps, early weening and the quick feathering that results. We never brood indoors as the dust and smells is too much. We brood in the garage or barn, year around, and we have brutal winters.

But..... for the first two weeks, maintaining the proper temperature in the "warm spot", to prevent smothering is essential. At three weeks, the risk is minimized as the chicks are stronger and able to push each other around.

 

[farmer boy]

mine do fine they are a week old and they do fine when i shut it off at night i wake up in the morning and they are just sleeping in a corner and they are fine ... and i put mine outside at a young age and they love living outside with my 2 big hens soon they will be put into my big flock

 

[Spice Glen Hens]

I agree with Fred.
It is common sense to keep heat on at night.

The fact is that some have their heater set at 75 in their house alll night with an indoor brooder.
.
Some have unheated houses or barns to brood indoors.

So, no situation or answer can be the same, except for one answer.

Do not let the babies get cold. And even, providing chicks with extra heat is never a bad thing. Chilling them is bad.

Just to save $2.75 a month, someone will shut off the heat to their beloved babies is against all reason.

I have picked up frozen chicks that somehow stayed outside the brooder all night.
Some recovered, some were dead. They need heat MOSTLY AT NIGHT when temps drop.

Just like my old horses get their blankies at night. And you sleep under blankets.

Once they are old enough they dont need a heat source, but at night it gets cold.

If for example, tonight, you feel that you need heat,
... or a sweater to be comfortable at night tonight, (in the low 40s here in Northern California)...

You better believe that chicks need heat.

Good luck with chilling your babies.


Spicy

 

[chixrus2013]

thanks for the input everyone. I live in northern NH and we are getting kind of a raw cool spell right now. Evenings are still pretty cool. We have our heat off in the house. It gets into the 60's at night usually so I think I better wait on the shutting off heat lamp idea. I want them warm and comfortable. If it starts warming up so that our house maintains a warmer temp at night then I may try it. I'm not so much worried about the cost of the electricity as I am the fact that they seem to be trying to get away from the light by sleeping on the other side. The natural thing for chicks would be to sleep under mother hen and at night it would be dark...not a light blaring 24/7.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

thanks for the input everyone. I live in northern NH and we are getting kind of a raw cool spell right now. Evenings are still pretty cool. We have our heat off in the house. It gets into the 60's at night usually so I think I better wait on the shutting off heat lamp idea. I want them warm and comfortable. If it starts warming up so that our house maintains a warmer temp at night then I may try it. I'm not so much worried about the cost of the electricity as I am the fact that they seem to be trying to get away from the light by sleeping on the other side. The natural thing for chicks would be to sleep under mother hen and at night it would be dark...not a light blaring 24/7.

If you are worried about the unnatural light; try a ceramic heater for reptiles or a brinsea ecoglow (I think that is the name) They mimic the act of going under mama better since they don't produce visible light. I can see where the idea comes from but it is more natural to be snuggled under a heat source (a hen) at night then during the day when it is eat/play time. I guess you won't know until you try and if your house is at 75 all the time this method would probably work fine for your needs.

 

[chixrus2013]

I did check out the Brinsea brooding heaters and I would have loved to get one of those because they really do simulate the mother hen so much better...providing heat when needed and not giving off all the light. However, I can't afford one of those. Probably the same thing with the ceramic heater. So, I guess I'll continue with the warming lamp for now and hopefully it will turn into summer here soon!!!

 

[Kevo]

I moved my 31/2 week old chicks outside without supplemental heat last Friday here in Northern Illinois. Temps have been down to mid 60's (outside) at night and the chicks seem fine in the mornings. The chicks don't huddle, that I've noticed, at night so I think the temp is a bit better in the coop.

But tomorrow evening we have a 38 degree low forecast. Chicks will be 41/2 weeks at this point. My Cornish Cross have about 95% feathers (some on top of head and under wings still missing) and my Barred Rock are about 85% feathered. They will be in the coop which is ventilated.

Any feedback or advice is appreciated.