Day olds need about 95 degrees F at their level, decreasing 5 degrees F/week until you reach room temp. How and where you provide that is unimportant the chicks.
As always, though, I might suggest a few things.
1. Use red heat lamps for heat. Chickens are tuned to the color red and sometimes chicks peck at each other, drawing a little blood during these pecking episodes. When that happens the others will go for the bloodspot, leading to a genuine bloodbath for the injured chick under white lights.
Under RED lights, the blood appears black and gets far less attention.
2. Whether youre using a hover or not, just hang your heat lamps above the brooder and adjust the height to adjust the heat at chick level. Thats the cheap way. Use a corded light dimmer if you want a control for under $10. On a hover, it's a bonus.
3. Give the chicks somewhere to escape the heat. Allow ample room around the focus of the heat so they can regulate themselves. When its too hot, they head for the edges, away from the heat. If too cold, they huddle under the heat, never relaxing. Ideal temps will have them scattered around the heat in comfort. Use a thermometer in the beginning.
4. Allow no more than an inch within the waterer for them to dip their beaks. Chicks will get in and even drown if you don't. Some add marbles inside, but thats too much fuss when you have to clean it everyday...did I mention you have to clean it often? Chicks kick everything into their water and it gets funky fast.
5. Elevate the feed and water as the chick grows. It should always be at the height of ther back.
6. For the first week, use white lighting over feed and water. Chicks especially are sorta dumb and, while they are attuned to the color red, they are drawn to white light. A low wattage incandescent over the feed and water helps them find it.
7. Ensure your brooder has no inside corners. Chicks will pile up in them and often trample a flock mate that gets into a corner. An old bathtub would be ideal; some people use a small wading pool. you get the idea.
8. Use paper towles for the first 5 days - NEVER newsprint. Newsprint is slick as ice when wet and it it will get wet. Paper towels allow traction.
9. DO NOT add litter until the chicks are eating their feed, usall at around 3-5 days. Otherwise they will eat the littler and it can do them harm, even kill them.
10. Just keep adding litter on top of the old. Before long, they will be in a deep litter sytem. By the time you have 3 inches or so, you 'll need to move them to their next home.
I use a natal box for the first 10-14 days, then they go to the main growing out cage. After they have their hard feathers and are about a foot tall, they go out to the yard. I dont count weeks, I count events.
As always, though, I might suggest a few things.
1. Use red heat lamps for heat. Chickens are tuned to the color red and sometimes chicks peck at each other, drawing a little blood during these pecking episodes. When that happens the others will go for the bloodspot, leading to a genuine bloodbath for the injured chick under white lights.
Under RED lights, the blood appears black and gets far less attention.
2. Whether youre using a hover or not, just hang your heat lamps above the brooder and adjust the height to adjust the heat at chick level. Thats the cheap way. Use a corded light dimmer if you want a control for under $10. On a hover, it's a bonus.
3. Give the chicks somewhere to escape the heat. Allow ample room around the focus of the heat so they can regulate themselves. When its too hot, they head for the edges, away from the heat. If too cold, they huddle under the heat, never relaxing. Ideal temps will have them scattered around the heat in comfort. Use a thermometer in the beginning.
4. Allow no more than an inch within the waterer for them to dip their beaks. Chicks will get in and even drown if you don't. Some add marbles inside, but thats too much fuss when you have to clean it everyday...did I mention you have to clean it often? Chicks kick everything into their water and it gets funky fast.
5. Elevate the feed and water as the chick grows. It should always be at the height of ther back.
6. For the first week, use white lighting over feed and water. Chicks especially are sorta dumb and, while they are attuned to the color red, they are drawn to white light. A low wattage incandescent over the feed and water helps them find it.
7. Ensure your brooder has no inside corners. Chicks will pile up in them and often trample a flock mate that gets into a corner. An old bathtub would be ideal; some people use a small wading pool. you get the idea.
8. Use paper towles for the first 5 days - NEVER newsprint. Newsprint is slick as ice when wet and it it will get wet. Paper towels allow traction.
9. DO NOT add litter until the chicks are eating their feed, usall at around 3-5 days. Otherwise they will eat the littler and it can do them harm, even kill them.
10. Just keep adding litter on top of the old. Before long, they will be in a deep litter sytem. By the time you have 3 inches or so, you 'll need to move them to their next home.
I use a natal box for the first 10-14 days, then they go to the main growing out cage. After they have their hard feathers and are about a foot tall, they go out to the yard. I dont count weeks, I count events.
