Is this ok for my chicks to go in once they hatch?

[gavbarker]

Iv got this cage for my chicks to go in for when they hatch iv got a heat pad in there i carnt get a lamp to go in only the heat pad i can only get the temp up to 32 degrees celcius not 37 will that be ok? they will be inside and iv got the big towel to go over the top so there will be no drafts etc please say it will be ok

 

[Llysse]

You won't want to smother them by putting a towel over top! Those high sides should be sufficient to keep out drafts. That's a neat brooder. Each chick will probably need about a half a square foot of space. Is it big enough, do you think? I don't know how many chicks you'll have. You'll also need to make sure you have a heat lamp set up so that the chicks can warm up underneath it if they need to, and move to a cooler part of the brooder if they need to, as well. Your picture doesn't show the way your heat lamp will be set up.

 

[gavbarker]

I only have 9 eggs due to hatch so i probe wont get all the chicks to hatch i dont have a heat lamp i have a meat pad under the left hand sie of the bedding but i can only get the temp to 32 degrees will that be warm enoug for them do u think?

 

[skeeter9]

If you're going to use the heating pad, only put it under part of the brooder. The chicks will need to have a cooler space to go to in case they get too warm.

If you watch their behavior they will tell you if you have the brooder temp correct. If they are too hot they will move away from the heat and pant and be lethargic, if they are too cold, they will pile up to try to warm up.

I agree with Llysse, you definitely don't want to cover the ventilation area or they will smother. Chicks need plent of air circulation. I'm not talking about air blowing on them or a draft, but they need fresh air.

Your brooder should work just fine. Enjoy your new chicks!!!

Lori

 

[kiaya611]

New chicks should be kept at a temp of 35°C (95°F) (32°C is equivalent to 89.6°F and that is where you would want to be at week two). Each week you lower the temperature 5°F until you get to room temp.

So, if I did my match properly, you should start out at 35°C and in one week lower it to 32°C, then one week later lower it to 29, then 26°C, then 23°C, then 21°C. At that point, your chicks should not need any additional heat source unless you are putting them into a very cold space or if you are putting them outdoors and it is particularly cold, you would want to supplement their heat.

You might be able to supplement your heat pad heat source with a regular light bulb placed above that area of the brooder. Be sure not to overdue the heat as you can easily cook the chicks

Watch them carefully and see if they huddle up on the pad or are on the outskirts of it or are on the other side of the brooder all together. Their behavior will tell you allot! It will tell you if it is too hot or too cool for them. For instance, if they are not all piled up on top of each other and look comfortable and not peeping loudly or panting, then you should have the temp near something they are comfortable with. If they are in a pile on top of each other, them temp is too cool...(this can also cause smothering).

Be sure to put a thermometer in with them where you can read the temp where they are, just be sure that they can't get at it if it is the glass type. You can get the plastic round disk type at most pet stores where they sell reptiles.

I hope this helps and good luck with your new hatches

 

[gavbarker]

Hi iv got my first chick now its a bit wet to go in the brooder yet how long do you recomend i leave it in the incubator before it goes into the brooder iv got the heating set up in there now but there is only one chick so i didnt know if im ment to wait till there are a few but it is geting a bit cramped in the incubator think i put too many eggs in there for its size.

 

[kiaya611]

It's normally recommended to leave a chick in an incubator until it has dried and fluffed out. "Moving chicks while they are still wet can cause them to chill. If the hatch is draggy, remove the dried chicks every 6 to 8 hours so the incubator's airflow won't cause them to dehydrate. Work Quickly, as opening the inubator will cause the temperature and humidity to drop, reducing the percentage of remaining eggs that will hatch." quoted from Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens

I hope this helps.