Heat openion needed

[crooked stripe]

I have 17 chicks that are 12 days old. As I can now see I built the brooder to small, 2'x4'. I have an attached coop, cage that is 4'x4'x6' that is part of the outside coop. I can put a couple 200 watt heat lamps in there that will bring the temps up to the 70's a couple feet off the floor and still keep the floor temps around 90 + or-. The birds will last maybe another week before room becomes a problem.There is already a bunch of jumping and short tempers. Will the heat be a problem as long as I can keep floor temps around 90? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. rj

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You don't need the whole space at 90, just one spot. One heat lamp about a foot above the floor is sufficient. A second lamp doesn't hurt in case one burns out.
A hen doesn't warm the whole building, just the space under her and they don't spend too much time there after the first week.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

ChickenCaneo makes a good point in that as chicks grow they need less and less heat. And as long as they have a heat source they can monitor their own temp by moving under it or away to regulate themselves.

Many folks here start at 95F for first week of brooding then raise the lamp to lower temp to 90F for the second week. Continuing from there to drop temp 5-7 degrees each week. With your chicks already being almost 2 weeks old you really don't need or want the temp over 90F anymore. Not sure if you even need the two lamps anymore as the area heated is larger, albeit lower temp, as you raise the lamp.

 

[keith123]

I've got three day old chicks and there not doing well. Very little movement. Got a heat lamp food and water. Any advice

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I've got three day old chicks and there not doing well. Very little movement. Got a heat lamp food and water. Any advice

They could be too hot so lethargic. Or they could be weakened from hatching/shipping/etc. Use thermometer to make sure your temperature is right and you can give them sugar or poultry vitamins in water to give boost of energy to eat. It's the feed that will get them to health so just need energy to eat it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They could be too hot so lethargic. Or they could be weakened from hatching/shipping/etc. Use thermometer to make sure your temperature is right and you can give them sugar or poultry vitamins in water to give boost of energy to eat. It's the feed that will get them to health so just need energy to eat it.

Good advice. Are you sure they all drank? Did you dip their beaks to make sure they knew what and where the water is? They never experienced water before.

The first time I brooded in one of those small rubbermaid containers, luckily I put a thermometer in before the chicks and it exploded. I never use that small of a space any more.
If you do however, don't use a heat lamp, just a regular 75watt on a droplight is sufficient.

 

[RonC]

Baked chicks is the biggest single problem I see. Only heat one area in the brooder and give them plenty of room to escape the heat. I can't imagine trying to micro manage a very small brooder area. I used a small heating pad when mine were very small. They could get on it to warm up and it didn't heat the rest of their area. Sometimes they have other problems they are born with and survive only for a short time. Egghead and ChickenCanoe both gave some good advice.

 

[keith123]

Thanks for the advice. I did use a Rubbermaid box but with a 60w bulb the temps where fine. I had purchased the last three birds out of 400 and I think the where weak to start.

 

[crooked stripe]

I will move the chicks to the coop tomorrow. I never thought about the hen area of heat. You are so right. I have only once seen a hen hatch and care for a new flock. It was amazing to watch. I hope everyone can experience that if only once. The miracle of nature. Thank you John