How warm do they need to be?

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

Hey ya'll!
I live in TX where is it still in the high 80 during the day. I have 7 3 day old chicks. My question is.. what temperature does their brooder need to be? I have a lamp in but sometimes it gets really warm.. like 100. When I unplug the brooder it gets in the 80s. So, I just want to make sure they don't get too hot or too cold. Can someone recommend a good temp range?

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 3 days old, they need a warm area that's roughly 90-95F. With a heat lamp, you might need to raise it more or switch out for a lower wattage bulb to still provide heat but get the temperature down lower.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

I live in Arizona and my garage is 92f constantly and 1 day old chicks were just fine until they had enough adult feathers to be outside at 4-6 weeks old, that's a little soon to be outside but they did just fine

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

I live in Arizona and my garage is 92f constantly and 1 day old chicks were just fine until they had enough adult feathers to be outside at 4-6 weeks old, that's a little soon to be outside but they did just fine

I will have to check the temp in our garage. I am not sure it hit 90. I am gonna check though. Thanks!

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

I

At 3 days old, they need a warm area that's roughly 90-95F. With a heat lamp, you might need to raise it more or switch out for a lower wattage bulb to still provide heat but get the temperature down lo

live in Arizona and my garage is 92f constantly and 1 day old chicks were just fine until they had enough adult feathers to be outside at 4-6 weeks old, that's a little soon to be outside but they did just f

I live in Arizona and my garage is 92f constantly and 1 day old chicks were just fine until they had enough adult feathers to be outside at 4-6 weeks old, that's a little soon to be outside but they did just fin

At 3 days old, they need a warm area that's roughly 90-95F. With a heat lamp, you might need to raise it more or switch out for a lower wattage bulb to still provide heat but get the temperature down lower.

Thank you!

 

[neo71665]

I'm in Arkansas and it's nothing for my shop to be 90 degrees untill I turn the fan on.

 

[3KillerBs]

I just brooded a batch of chicks in a North Carolina fall and I managed my temperatures with a combination of adjusting the chain and changing the lamp.

They had 3 days of a cold snap on the 250watt bulb, another 10 days on the 150watt bulb, and the rest of the brooding time on the 100watt bulb. (The 250 is the standard red bulb, the others are reptile night bulbs).

The usual recommendations are to start with 95F the first week and go down 5 degrees each week. Measure the temperature at the height of the chicks' backs right under the bulb. Make sure that's warm enough but that the other end of the brooder is much cooler and the chicks will go where they want to be.

I got this batch off heat at about 4 weeks because they feathered up quickly.

The batch from the spring went 5 weeks because I had 2 male Langshans who apparently carry the slow-feathering gene. In cooler weather those two might have needed heat up to 8 weeks because that's how long it took them to feather up well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Can someone recommend a good temp range?

To me the best recommendations come from the chicks. If they are acting too warm they are too warm. If they are acting too cold they are too cold. To me the best brooder is one that is big enough so you can keep one spot warm enough in the coldest temperatures and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. If you are brooding in a climate controlled location, like in your house (or maybe your garage) that may be pretty easy. If you are brooding outside with those temperature swings it can be more challenging. I've had my temperatures go from below freezing to in the 70's F pretty quickly. My brooder needs to be able to handle that. As long as the chicks can find an area where they are comfortable, they will be comfortable. If I give them the option and make them do the work I don't have to worry about creating the perfect temperature. Why make it complicated when you don't have to?

I don't know what your brooder looks like, how big it is, or where it is located. It's kind of hard for me to make specific recommendations without knowing what you are working with. As far as adjusting the lamp, you can control the heat by moving it closer or further away. They also make different wattage bulbs you can use. In winter I use 250 watt bulbs. In spring or summer I might use a 125 or 75 watt.

And I'll give my normal warning with a heat lamp. Throw away that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. Support it firmly in place so it cannot fall with wire or chain. Do not use string or plastic that can burn or melt, use wire or metal chain. That will eliminate the biggest risk of fire.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

To me the best recommendations come from the chicks. If they are acting too warm they are too warm. If they are acting too cold they are too cold. To me the best brooder is one that is big enough so you can keep one spot warm enough in the coldest temperatures and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. If you are brooding in a climate controlled location, like in your house (or maybe your garage) that may be pretty easy. If you are brooding outside with those temperature swings it can be more challenging. I've had my temperatures go from below freezing to in the 70's F pretty quickly. My brooder needs to be able to handle that. As long as the chicks can find an area where they are comfortable, they will be comfortable. If I give them the option and make them do the work I don't have to worry about creating the perfect temperature. Why make it complicated when you don't have to?

I don't know what your brooder looks like, how big it is, or where it is located. It's kind of hard for me to make specific recommendations without knowing what you are working with. As far as adjusting the lamp, you can control the heat by moving it closer or further away. They also make different wattage bulbs you can use. In winter I use 250 watt bulbs. In spring or summer I might use a 125 or 75 watt.

And I'll give my normal warning with a heat lamp. Throw away that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. Support it firmly in place so it cannot fall with wire or chain. Do not use string or plastic that can burn or melt, use wire or metal chain. That will eliminate the biggest risk of fire.

Thank you

 

[3KillerBs]

To me the best recommendations come from the chicks. If they are acting too warm they are too warm. If they are acting too cold they are too cold. To me the best brooder is one that is big enough so you can keep one spot warm enough in the coldest temperatures and a spot cool enough in the warmest conditions. If you are brooding in a climate controlled location, like in your house (or maybe your garage) that may be pretty easy. If you are brooding outside with those temperature swings it can be more challenging. I've had my temperatures go from below freezing to in the 70's F pretty quickly. My brooder needs to be able to handle that. As long as the chicks can find an area where they are comfortable, they will be comfortable. If I give them the option and make them do the work I don't have to worry about creating the perfect temperature. Why make it complicated when you don't have to?

I don't know what your brooder looks like, how big it is, or where it is located. It's kind of hard for me to make specific recommendations without knowing what you are working with. As far as adjusting the lamp, you can control the heat by moving it closer or further away. They also make different wattage bulbs you can use. In winter I use 250 watt bulbs. In spring or summer I might use a 125 or 75 watt.

And I'll give my normal warning with a heat lamp. Throw away that clamp so you are not tempted to use it. Support it firmly in place so it cannot fall with wire or chain. Do not use string or plastic that can burn or melt, use wire or metal chain. That will eliminate the biggest risk of fire.

This advice has given me three healthy, vigorous batches of chicks so far.