I have a thermometer in my brooder and the temperature was staying steady around 80 degrees, well last night I go to check and it was up to 95, I filtered the air out and now this morning its at about 70. I am not real concerned with them getting too cold, I've been told 95 is ideal for the first week but I mean, they sent me 7 chicks through the mail with no heat source, so obviously they can do fine on their own. However, I'm sure a heat lamp makes life easier for the birds so they don't have to huddle up. At what point will the temperature pose danger to my baby chicks? I'm afraid of leaving to a football party and having them cook while I'm gone. The chicks are 5 days old.
I would try to get it around 95-98 in the spot directly under the light so that they have the option to go under the lamp to warm up of they need too.
The rule of thumb is 95 degrees for the first week and then drop the temp by five degrees each week until outside temp is reached. If your chicks huddle under the light, it is too cold. If they wander around as if the light isn't there its just right. If they move away from the light or pant with wings raised to allow air flow to cool them they are too hot. For the first week of their lives, unless you live somewhere really warm, chicks spend their time under mama keeping warm. Since you are the mama you just keep an eye on them. Position your light so they can move away if they get warm but can also go closer if they get cool.
Much of what I read, and then what I did, was to put the light just high enough so that the chicks played pretty much everywhere/anywhere in the brooder. If they're all huddled together directly under the light, move it down a little because they're too cold. If they are as far as they can get from the light, move it up because they're too hot and trying to get away from the heat. I went more on behavior than degrees. -Beth
Quote:I agree... 95-100 was just too hot for my chicks so I reduced the wattage in the lamp and the temp read about 90 if that! I am sitting outside right now with the chicks and had to move them out of the sun and into the shade as they were screaming and panting as soon as I put them out there in their pen. Now we are sitting under the tree in the shade and it has to be only 75-80 very pleasant and the chicks are having a wonderful time running around and very active? They are a week old. So just watch their behavior and they will let you know when is just right.
I never use a heat lamp. They are just too hot. I prefer to use red flood lights. They are plenty warm without getting too hot.
With my new chicks, I had to resort to raising and lowering my lamp again and again since my brooder was on the back porch. What no one plans for is that the temps are fine if your ambient temperature is always the same all the time. Mine wasn't. Early on, I would dash home at lunch to check on my temps and raise my lamp, poured over weather forecasts, but overall, keep them a little cooler than you think you need to. Night temps are the most important. That's what I eventually shot for, and all survived. Oh, and keeping a place for the chicks to escape the direct heat of the lamp is key.
