I cant get my brooder house above 80 f...

[fishin_dad]

I have used a FPF insulation on the outside stapled to 2x2 framing and plywood inside the house. I have tried a ceramic and infrared bulbs and a brooder plate and can only achieve a max of 80 degrees

 

[nuthatched]

I think they'll be fine at 80*, as long as they can go under the brooder plate to be warm, they can leave from under it to cool off if they need.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Brooder plates don't heat the air so no point in trying to measure air temperature with one. The chicks warm themselves by pressing against it. Put your hand on it, does it feel warm? If so then it's working fine. You do not need the heat bulbs in addition, chicks need warmer and cooler areas.

 

[fishin_dad]

I moved the heat lamp about 2 inches lower and I hit 98 degrees in under 2 hours with it raining and the temp in the mid 40's out side. I still have a foot and a half of clearance to the floor so there should be no worriea.

 

[aart]

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:

They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker acclimation to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later I still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
-If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
-If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
-If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. If you do use a heat bulb make sure it's specifically for poultry, some heat bulbs for food have teflon coatings that can kill birds. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


Or you could go with a heat plate, commercially made or DIY: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate