How do you tell how cold your chicks are?

Hopefully someone else will jump on here as I am a newbie waiting on my first chicks. From what I've read though, this is the behaviour of some very cold babies. I would be very careful with all the heat lamps, blankets, etc for fire safety too. Maybe bring them inside until the storm passes? 10 days is pretty little.

 

You did the right thing by observing their behavior. If they are too hot they will be at the corners of the brooder trying to get away from the heat lamp. If they are standing underneath the heatlamp like that, yes, they are cold.

I put a thermometer or two in the brooder so I could tell what the temp was -- put one under the lamp and one at the edge. that should tell you the temp.

I dont' know what you mean when you say a "space heater" but generally people use heat lamps. your space heater may not be providing enough heat on a cold night like this.

You could add a second heat lamp if you have one. A regular light bulb works fine too. You can also lower the heat lamp closer to them. BUT PLEASE BE VERY CAREFUL as you dont' want to start a fire (check your blanket too) or have the heat source too close to bedding or flammable materials.

I agree with the above post, it might be easiest just to bring them inside for the night.

 

They huddle under the heat when they are cold. They can also begin to pile. Piling is dngerous as usually the chicks ont he bottom are mashed and suffocate and die. With all the heat and blankets I would be very careful about a fire hazard.

Can you bring them inside and keep them warm with a heat lamp until your weather warms up?

If they do get chilled they can have a very hard time recovering. Chilling can even be fatal.

At 10 days old they need 85 - 90 degree temps without drafts.

 

At 10 days old they need to be in 85 degree temps, do you have a thermometer in their brooder?

Sounds like they are huddling because they are cold.

Can you move them to a warmer place?
If they get chilled they will probably die.

 

Is it drafty by any chance too? They probably already got over their "cheep cheep I'm cold" stage and resorted to standing in the warmest place possible. If it is so windy, maybe it would be best to bring them in for a few days. Best of luck.

 

i'd bring them in, at night at least with temp that low. my 5 wk are sleeping in my tub low are 40s.

 

I'm new here, and new to chickens. Just wanted to let you know that I've had my chicks for a month now. I kept them outside in a shed with a heat lamp about 18 inches above them. It was REALLY cold for the first part of their lives. They basically hung out under the lamp all the time. I covered the top of my brooder with a board so the heat was held in, but there was room on the edges to get fresh air. I think as long as there isn't a draft, and you keep the heat in the brooder, they will be fine. All my friends took extra caution with their chicks by keeping them inside and have lost several . . . I still have all 20 of mine, getting big and strong!! Oh yeah, I have since moved the lamp up since the days are warming up.

 

If you could know all the things I've done here to keep my chickens happy and all the problems that have occurred, you'd know that I (and all of us) have learned through each of these experiences... you are not incompetent, you're just learning as you go like the rest of us!