Learning Curve

[trussell443]

I am super new as I just got 5 hens and a 1 rooster chicks. I bought a nice larger brooder with heat lamp installed. I have my brooder in our shed, twice now the temps have gotten to 99 degrees. I quickly pulled the chicks out and opened the top. I have a couple of questions you may help this new chicken enthusiastic out with as I learn.

1. Is there a better way to keep a consistent temperature, It seems like my brooder is always 80 or 99, I am trying hard to get it consistently 90 as the chicks are nearing two weeks old.

2, Is it better to have the brooder cooler or slightly hotter?

3, I have a device to show the temp, but I am obsessing over this temp deal, how important is temp in the sense of a little cooler or hotter?

Thank you so much.

 

[GreenJay]

Howdy from south Texas ! Welcome to BYC!

Watching the temps can drive ya nuts especially with a heat lamp, been there done that recently . I finally just would check the chicks and adjusted to their actions, whether they were huddling or scattered. Had them in a southwest facing room and we were having crazy temp swings outside so I did a LOT of adjusting LoL.

 

[trussell443]

Howdy from south Texas ! Welcome to BYC!

Watching the temps can drive ya nuts especially with a heat lamp, been there done that recently . I finally just would check the chicks and adjusted to their actions, whether they were huddling or scattered. Had them in a southwest facing room and we were having crazy temp swings outside so I did a LOT of adjusting LoL.

Thank you for replying and letting me know I am not alone. I am learning and enjoying this so much.

 

[GreenJay]

Thank you for replying and letting me know I am not alone. I am learning and enjoying this so much.

This is my first flock, I was a very nervous chick mom haha, my girls are 8 weeks old now, it's been amazing watching them grow

 

[Ridgerunner]

Could you show a photo of that brooder or even better, a link to it so I can see what you are working with.

1. Is there a better way to keep a consistent temperature, It seems like my brooder is always 80 or 99, I am trying hard to get it consistently 90 as the chicks are nearing two weeks old.

The temperature of my overall brooder is pretty irrelevant. What the chicks need is one spot warm enough in the coolest conditions and cool enough in the warmest of conditions. To me the biggest issue with brooding outside like in that shed is the temperature swings. I've seen it go from freezing to over 70 Fahrenheit basically overnight. I have my heat lamp over one end of my 3' x 6' brooder so that end stays toasty in the coolest conditions. With decent ventilation, the far end may have ice in it on a really cold morning but when it warms up the chicks go down there to escape the heat. You do not need a constant temperature, you need a spot warm enough and a spot cool enough. That makes it so much easier.

2, Is it better to have the brooder cooler or slightly hotter?
3, I have a device to show the temp, but I am obsessing over this temp deal, how important is temp in the sense of a little cooler or hotter?

They can handle a range of temperatures so you do not have to be precise. But that is why I want to see what your brooder looks like, to see how reasonable it would be to set it up with a range.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. You don't need consistent temperatures. You just need an area warm enough for chicks to warm up, and otherwise they can tolerate a pretty surprising range of lower temps. Healthy 2-week-old chicks only need a warm area around 80 degrees.

2. Cooler, for sure. Heat seems to contribute to pasty butt, and cooler temps may encourage chicks to feather in faster. I brood outdoors generally in the range of mid 60s to mid 40s.

 

[trussell443]

Could you show a photo of that brooder or even better, a link to it so I can see what you are working with.




The temperature of my overall brooder is pretty irrelevant. What the chicks need is one spot warm enough in the coolest conditions and cool enough in the warmest of conditions. To me the biggest issue with brooding outside like in that shed is the temperature swings. I've seen it go from freezing to over 70 Fahrenheit basically overnight. I have my heat lamp over one end of my 3' x 6' brooder so that end stays toasty in the coolest conditions. With decent ventilation, the far end may have ice in it on a really cold morning but when it warms up the chicks go down there to escape the heat. You do not need a constant temperature, you need a spot warm enough and a spot cool enough. That makes it so much easier.


They can handle a range of temperatures so you do not have to be precise. But that is why I want to see what your brooder looks like, to see how reasonable it would be to set it up with a range.

This is about the best thing I've read, thank you for sharing, I've calmed down with the worry, all the chicks seem pretty strong.