How hot? 3 week olds

[needlessjunk]

3 week old chicks should be around 80 degrees, right? My smaller heat lamp went out last night and my big one is HOT. I have it pulled so far away from the chicks it is silly. They are in my garage and it runs about 75 degrees ambient temp all day and night. No one is close to the lamp at all and I'm wondering if I can just turn it off. There are 3 of them.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I would turn it off. Heck, I would move them to their coop (or next residence) at this point. I have chicks that just turned 3 weeks old and they're coming out of the brooder today.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

*I* don't follow the rules (and the chickens don't read the rule books either, so it works out okay) - I prefer to let the birds tell me what they need/want and, in this situation, it sounds like your chicks are telling you they are okay. I find that the birds actually prefer it a bit cooler than the ol' "5 degrees per week" change that is so commonly listed. I would go ahead and turn off the light and see how they do. If you start seeing indications that they are becoming stressed by the temperature, you can rethink it.

 

[needlessjunk]

Thanks, I've been watching them and they get upset when the light is off but I think it's because they are just use to a red light and my garage is kinda dark since it cloudy out. I've been turning off the light for 30 mins or so at a time for the last week. everything is ready to move them out but we are flooded right now. Hopefully the ground will dry out a bit by the weekend before we get hit again.

 

[Jackschicks]

Hey needless, I am in Texas also -(the flat, reclaimed swamplands around the Houston area) and we have been hit hard with the rains as well. Last nights storm ripped the top out of a tree and dumped it on top of one of my chicken coops so my hens probably won't lay for a few days due to trauma. I know we were behind on our rainfall but sheesh - we don't need it all at once. Like grey mare, I found my chicks actually seemed to prefer it a little cooler than the books were telling me. They are 9 weeks old now and have been out in the coop and run for over a month and are doing fantastic. Probably for the first week or so I had the light hooked up in their coop at night but after that they seemed to be fine without it. Your temps are probably about the same as we have here. It was really great when I moved them out to coop and run, I got a big kick out of just sitting and watching them run around and explore their new world. Hopefully things will dry out soon and you will be able to move them outside. Good Luck!!

 

[azygous]

Regarding heat in the brooder, I can't stress enough that the "formula" refers to the spot directly beneath the heat source and not an "oven" temperature. Chicks are not hamburger patties that need to be kept hot! They need the majority of their environment to be on the cool side for their health and well being. And it's certainly a fact that the guidelines are too hot for most chicks, especially dark colored chicks that absorb more heat than light ones.

If it's light the chicks crave, try a 25 watt bulb or even a night light. Your chicks will do fine in the 75 degree temps you have there.

The flooding of your run is actually an opportunity to see the flaws in your drainage around your facility. You might trench around the run and coop, diverting runoff, or truck in some sand for the run. It will get damp, and may pack down when wet, but there should be no standing water.

Also, if your run isn't covered, it's always much safer for the chickens as well as less stressful since they relax when under cover - no sky predators to constantly be on the alert for. It makes the run more resistant to the weather and chickens will be a lot happier, and so will you.

 

[needlessjunk]

The light is pointed at a single spot and they stay mostly away from the light. Our lows are only into the 70's at night anyway. As for the run... That is my entire back yard. My ducks free range it right now and are happy as can be since they are swimming in my swamp. Our yard drains well but I'm in TX and it flooded everything. I do know where the house will go and they have "high" ground and lots of trees, tampoline and patio cover to hang out under. They will get their own temporary run that will be covered till they are big enough to run with my ducks without problems.

 

[needlessjunk]

Hey needless,  I am in Texas also  -(the flat, reclaimed swamplands around the Houston area) and we have been hit hard with the rains as well. Last nights storm ripped the top out of a tree and dumped it on top of one of my chicken coops so my hens probably won't lay for a few days due to trauma. I know we were behind on our rainfall but sheesh - we don't need it all at once.  Like grey mare, I found my chicks actually seemed to prefer it a little cooler than the books were telling me.  They are 9 weeks old now and have been out in the coop and run for over a month and are doing fantastic.  Probably for the first week or so I had the light hooked up in their coop at night but after that they seemed to be fine without it.  Your temps are probably about the same as we have here.  It was really great when I moved them out to coop and run, I got a big kick out of just sitting and watching them run around and explore their new world.  Hopefully things will dry out soon and you will be able to move them outside.  Good Luck!!  

Hope you're hanging in there! The rain was nuts! We went out last night to see one of the creeks and it flooded everything and some poor bison were swept away in it. Thank goodness they are great swimmers and made it out about 1/2 mile down stream. I can't wait for it to dry out a bit so they can go out and actually be on grass. I feel bad that they have been completely locked up and haven't been able to go out at all.

 

[Blooie]

Mine have been out in their brooder in the run (not the coop, but the run) since almost day one. Our temps were in the teens and twenties at night, with the additional bonus of a snowstorm accompanied by 60 mph winds. They were just fine! They have a heating pad cave out there, and by 3-4 weeks that thing was off. By 4-5 weeks they were completely integrated with the rest of the flock. These little critters aren't as delicate as we convince ourselves they are. Mama Hen doesn't have any problems letting her brand new chicks experience a little chill, and we shouldn't either, but we do. Your temps are much warmer than ours are.

But we don't have the flooding to contend with and that puts a whole new slant on things. While I usually suggest getting them out to learn to be chickens as soon as safely possible, the key word here is "safely" and from what I've been seeing it might be while yet for that to happen. So go ahead and leave them where they are high and dry, but feel free to turn off the light. When you are finally able to turn them out into the coop, they'll be very comfortable with the natural day/night cycle and the temps won't bother them at all!

Sending prayers for all of you hit so hard by this weather!

 

[RubyNala97]

My chicks are 2 weeks and they are starting to get their feathers. I only have 2 chicks right now and more eggs in the incubator to start a flock. I was wondering about the heat too. I just took out the 250watt and switched it for 150watt red bulb. Can I start shutting it off for 30 mins here and there? I want them to be warm but it's 75degrees in the house already.