Help please! Posting a video. Temp says 95. Others fine

[chickennewb-E]

Help please! Posting a pic. Panting? Temp says 95. Others fine. How is she hot at 95? Why won’t she move to the cool side?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Do you have a picture of the whole brooder?

 

[debid]

They can't move to the cool side if the difference isn't noticeable. Many misunderstand how hot these bulbs really are because it is difficult to get a measurement of the effect with a thermometer.
But, 250w lamps are meant for a 6' cardboard circle in a barn. That was what they were designed for. If you have a smaller space, you are risking cooking the chicks.

Heat plates are easier, safer, and use less energy. Plus, the chicks get to have a natural day/night cycle.

 

[rosemarythyme]

x2 on needing a photograph of the whole brooder space, as well as an idea of how cool the cool side is.

95F is running high unless these just hatched, and they look older than that.

 

[chickennewb-E]

They can't move to the cool side if the difference isn't noticeable. Many misunderstand how hot these bulbs really are because it is difficult to get a measurement of the effect with a thermometer.
But, 250w lamps are meant for a 6' cardboard circle in a barn. That was what they were designed for. If you have a smaller space, you are risking cooking the chicks.

Heat plates are easier, safer, and use less energy. Plus, the chicks get to have a natural day/night cycle.

Ok, got a brooder plate. Now trying to figure how high to set it. New to these

 

[thecatumbrella]

Ok, got a brooder plate. Now trying to figure how high to set it. New to these

I've got an article on how to properly use a heat plate here (including setting the height). Hope it's helpful!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Wow. BYC never forgets!

I went looking for the chick brooder temperature graphic I used to post way back when and found one of my posts where I used it.

Brooder temperature fluctuations.

This is it:

How are the rest of your chicks behaving? If that one chick is standing there in a hot area while the others crowding away this may not be a temperature problem. Thermometers are problematic in brooders because they do not always reflect what the chicks are experiencing. Watch the behavior of all of them and they'll tell you if they are comfortable or not.

If that one chick is behaving in a singular fashion I'd try giving it some water from a dropper then set her down in a cooler area. See what happens then.

 

[debid]

Here's the problem with that chart. The diagram assumes a 6' brooding circle, that's what was the standard was for ages and this type of cardboard enclosure probably still exists. But instead, people buy a plastic tote box and it's more like the red square. The chicks can't get away from that heat so even if there are only a few of them, they need a lot more room to use such a powerful heat source. The red circle is where they should go to warm up and nap, not where they should be forced to spend all of their time.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

If the person brooding the chicks is paying attention they will still notice the behavior. If it's too hot the chicks are going to crowd away from the heat as best they can.

The brooder I am using right this moment is a round metal stock tank four feet in diameter. Until two nights ago I was using a 250 watt red IR bulb. It worked great because the surrounding air temperature (the brooder is on my carport) was going into the thirties at night.

The weather has now warmed so I replaced the 250 bulb with two 125 bulbs. At night when the temperature is falling I have them both on. Before I leave for work in the morning I turn one off. They are thriving. In another couple of weeks I'll turn them both off during the day and only turn on one at night because the outside air temperature will be high enough to allow it (I'm in Florida).

There's nothing wrong with these "brooder tables". They work fine. If one wants to use them then go for it. But folks have been using IR bulbs for decades now and they work just as good now as they did then and they cost a lot less. There's no secret to them. Pay attention to the way the chicks are behaving. They'll tell you what they are feeling.

One hopes that a person brooding chicks would have enough sense not to use a high wattage IR bulb over a small plastic tub to begin with. Way back when I was brooding in a cardboard box I used a 100w bulb. That was plenty of heat for the space. A few weeks in I turned it off in the heat of the day.

 

[debid]

...
One hopes that a person brooding chicks would have enough sense not to use a high wattage IR bulb over a small plastic tub to begin with. Way back when I was brooding in a cardboard box I used a 100w bulb. That was plenty of heat for the space. A few weeks in I turned it off in the heat of the day.

It happens again and again, though. The OP didn't show us their setup but we've reached that time of year where people post questions like this one on repeat and pretty much all of them are using a plastic tote in their 70F house. I've gotten to the point that when I see the question and they've posted a close-up of a painting or droopy chick in red light, I imagine that it is exactly this problem. It usually is.

Back when I used bulbs on an unheated porch, I had a 100 and a 175 and I would switch between them to account for the massive swings in ambient temperature that occur here in spring. It was doable, sure, but a hassle. Switched to an electric hen for layer replacements because I never have more than a handful, anyway. It cost me $13 for the heat pad and some time and trash from the shed to build one. It works no matter the temperature because they interact with it like they would a hen. It stays on and they use it as needed until they move to their roost overnight. Then I take it out. It IS easier and the risk of overheating the space is gone.