last minute questions

[rgraf]

Hi all, I am expecting my first chicks tomorrow or Wednesday. I thought I was ready but now I'm having last minute panic! They will be in my garage for brooding, it's pretty warm out there, should I turn the heat lamp on tonight, or wait until I get the call from the post office that they are here. I don't want them to be too cold, but I don't want them to be too hot either! Help! I'm going to attach (if I can) a picture of their area. I have their brooder in their coop so it will already feel like home when they are ready to move outside.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Chemguy]

You can wait until they get there to turn on the heat lamp. Things heat up very quickly once they're on. If your garage is hot, you might want to consider having some low-watt bulbs on hand. The week I got my chcicks, I startred with a brooder bulb (125 W). It was so hot that I wound up going down in wattage until I hit 40W. At night, I found that 60W worked well. I didn't measure the temperature, I just looked at how the chicks were behaving. HOT= away from the light, COLD = huddled under the light JUST RIGHT = moving around the cage.

Edit to add: I also wound up making a vertical post to which I could attach the light. That way, I could move the light nearer or further from the chicks.

 

[CountryBumpkin2011]

YAY!! Mine come this week too

To test the temp in my garage I kept a thermometer out there and went and checked it every few hours to see what the temp was...that way I knew if I needed to keep a heat lamp on. Unfortunatly I think it gets too hot in my garage so I have moved the brooder inside.

Congrats on the arrival of the new chickies! Make sure to post pics

 

[djennings]

It looks good. Just remember the first week after hatched temperature should be 95, after that each week go down 5 degrees. congrats on new chicks.

 

[rgraf]

Thanks everyone! I'm so excited I can hardly sit still!

 

[Chemguy]

Quote:
I was nervous, too. All of my chicks arrived in good condition, and they are growing like weeds! I've found that they need looking after, but not constant attention. Turns out that they are extremely good at a very small number of things: eating, pooping and sleeping. Looks like your brooder will let them be at their best!

I should add that at times even a 40W was too much, since it was hot here. I tried turning off the light, and there was mass panic! I solved the problem by using a low watt fluorescent bulb overnight, then back to an incandescent in the morning. I'd think that leaving the garage light on would do the same thing.

Good Luck!

 

[TheJuan-n-Only]

Quote:
LOL I was the same way...I think we all are at one point or another....My girls are now outside in the coop...so please post lots of pics so I can get my baby fix! hahahaha

 

[rgraf]

I'll post pictures when the chicks are settled in!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Hoping for a safe arrival!

Be sure to post pictures....BYC rules ya know!

~ Aspen

 

[LizzyJo]

You might want to put the food and water containers on something b4 the babies arrive to kick the bedding into them. I put mine on bricks.