Hot chicks in brooder- Please help

[NCgirl21]

So I'm raising 4 chicks for the first time and I'm worrying about the temperature. The thermometer says it's 95-97F and I know it's supposed to be at 95 but it's so difficult to regulate it. At one point it was at 99F and I switched the light off and in 5-10 min it dropped to 89F. So I don't want to shock the babies either. Shouldn't they just go into a cooler area if under the heat lamp is too hot? They are smart enough to leave the super hot area if they aren't happy, right? The temp on the other side of the cage the thermometer there reads 80F. I'm attaching a picture of the brooder to help show the "hot" and "cold" areas in the box. I just went to look on them and it was 103F. I sort of freaked out with that but they still were spread apart by by each other laying down. I don't understand why they wouldn't lay closer to the other corner where the food was because I really can't believe they are comfortable laying under 103F! Please help!

Thanks

 

[chippie]

I am new too and my chicks are one week old but I noticed if they are hot they move away from the light. It is hard to keep a constant temp on mine too but when I turned off the light they huddled together, a sure sign they were cold. Once I put the light on they went on to do their chicken thing. They rarely are directly under my lamp but are close enough.

 

[NCgirl21]

Yeah, that makes sense. I just figured with it at 103 degrees they would have moved but maybe they are cold..last thing I want to do is have them overheat! Gosh, so much pressure with baby chicks! Well...the first time is probably the worst. Thanks so much for your help and good luck with your babies!

 

[chicks are me]

I'm not sure, but if they are uncomfortable, they will tell you by making many loud,sharp,groups of sounds.( by the way,some author bought 50 chicks and when she was at work the heat lamp went out, and three hours later when she got home she thought they all died and then she saw some of them move and she turned on the oven at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and put them in the stove for a few minutes and they lived)

 

[Fred's Hens]

Today, our ambient air temperature was 93F. Hot. The whole 95F first week, reducing by 5 degrees each week thing is precisely that, a thing, a guideline, because folks need to start somewhere. Mostly? In real life, it is simply too hot. Hotter because the surrounding ambient air is already warm. Too hot because the brooders used often hold heat. Too hot because thermometers aren't accurate or laid on the floor of the brooder, while the chick is 4-5" higher up, closer to the lamp.

A brooding hen doesn't try to warm the entire coop. She just provides her body heat whenever the chicks need to warm up. The rest of the time, the chicks are scurrying about in ambient air, which can be 50F and the chicks are quite fine doing this. The brooding lamp is intended to mimic the brooding hen. So, all that is needed is a single warm spot. The chicks will gravitate toward that spot, as needed and will spend much of their time away from it.

When the ambient air is already hot, just a "warm" spot is needed. It doesn't need to be screaming hot, just warm. I rarely provide a spot warmer than 85F and the chicks are rarely bunched within the circle, just the fringes, as needed.

 

[Chikas123]

I think they are perfectly fine. My chicks moved or spread themselves out if it was too hot. and your cage seems large enough. maybe try getting a red light lamp im not sure if that would help but that is what i used and it did good.

 

[gardendufus]

I agree with Fred's Hens. But then I usually do, lol, he is a frequent poster and has raised hens/chicks for many years. He is IMHO a source of much valuable info.

As long as your chicks have a warm spot, and enough room to move off to cooler areas if they so desire, they will self regulate.

ETA: No Fred, I'm not stalking you, but I do like to keep up with your advice.

 

[bj taylor]

i too agree w/ fred. of course i do. he knows. it's really nice to have the voice of experience on these posts. i'm sure it gets old sometimes when the same questions show up again and again, but that is a good thing because it means there are more of us learning about chickens.
i fretted & stewed w/my first babies this past february. now that i'm such an old hand at it (have had chickens now for four months

), i think i will be a little more relaxed w/ my next batch.

those babies look like they are just fine. if it's too hot, they'll move away (since you were smart enough to give them space to move away from the heat).
they will grow fast & feather in fast. that heat bulb will probably have to be decreased to lesser wattage pretty quick.

these darn chickens are habit forming. i have 9 & they are so enjoyable and entertaining.

 

[Adenium]

Well, my little silkie wasn't smart enough to move away from the lamp and completely overheated herself at a few days old. Foofy chick. She even ran back to the heat when I moved her away.....but didn't start eating and drinking and acting normal until I raised the heat lamp. The others have been fine. I try to do as others suggest and go by chick behavior rather than a strict temp, but that assumes rational chick behavior