Heat Lamp Question

[Ol Grey Mare]

Heating pads turn off after 2 hrs and at 4 weeks they should be kept at 80.
5 degree drop weekly. Of course they will be fine and chicken people worry too much so my suggestion is to sooth your soul and give u hope ;-)

Rice is a great heater. Put dry uncooked rice in pillowcase or small cloth bag about size of gallon ziplock. Microwave for about 2 minutes and immediately wrap with towel and place into place u have them.
If very hot and wrapped with towel, I have had a rice bag last 6-8 hrs. You could do a couple and place at the end of each container.

Save rice and repeat. I use for myself on sore muscles. Works great. You can also use dried beans but rice is softer and seems to hold heat longer to me.

You can easily find pads without the two hour shutoff....I know this to be true as I, and many others here, have do e so and use them exclusively for brooding chicks.
At 4 weeks, even following the outdated and rather incorrect 90-95 minus 5 degrees per week "rule" the birds would not be at 80 degrees. My 4 chicks are brooded outdoors (daily temps ranging from high teens to 40) and at 4 weeks are selfweaned from all supplemental heat, and this experience is not unique, it is actually the common observation of folks brooding outdoors and allowing self regulation.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

One thing I forgot to mention, you cannot automatically interpret distressed chirping as an indication of being cold when you go from having light based heat to them experiencing their 1st natural darkness. Chicks who are accustomed to having light 24/7 become quite distressed the 1st few evenings when it gets dark.

 

[Chollister6]

One thing I forgot to mention, you cannot automatically interpret distressed chirping as an indication of being cold when you go from having light based heat to them experiencing their 1st natural darkness. Chicks who are accustomed to having light 24/7 become quite distressed the 1st few evenings when it gets dark.

Good to know. Actually my heating pad is old. My parents go it in the 90s lol and it still works great and does not have a auto shut off.

When I had the light on them I have a thermostat to shut off once it reaches the right temp and being in socal and keeping my house at 70 anyway for my kids the light turns off a lot and once it is down to 85-80 it isn't on very often so I would think they are used to the dark. They did well last night without the light so maybe they are ready.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

But be careful to only get ones made for poultry...
....other heat bulbs can have teflon safety coating that are toxic to birds.

Yup

 

[Chollister6]

Yup

Yes the one I got is specifically for poultry!

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Yes the one I got is specifically for poultry!

Great!