Little help

[Charlie trotter]

We have had our chicks now for one week and they are doing great in the brooder. I live in West Tennessee and we have had mild weather up to this point but we are heading into a cold snap upper 20's at night which they have not dealt with yet.

Do I need to keep temp a little warmer or maybe the same (about 95 under lamp) or do I need to start reducing temp (around 90) since they are going into second week. They are in my garage so no drafts just colder Temps.

 

[Isabella7Storm5]

What i would do is just give them enough space to get closer or farther from the heat depending on what they want.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

They're going to be fine. Chicks don't ever need *95, that's just the ever present bad info. on the Internet. Mine start at *80 and move down weekly from there. Reduce heat and watch behavior. If they're zooming around away from heat and then returning to heat to sleep, they're normal. I'm betting they are trying to get away from *95. This is a very informative thread..... http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do I need to keep temp a little warmer or maybe the same (about 95 under lamp) or do I need to start reducing temp (around 90) since they are going into second week.

What does your brooder look like? How big is it, how is it set up with that heat lamp? Stuff like that. A photo often helps.

You do not need to drop the temperatures weekly, that is an internet myth. A broody hen can raise chicks even if the days are getting warmer every day, not cooler, even when they start off pretty warm. As they get older they can handle lower temperatures so it doesn't "have" to be as high, but that doesn't mean they can't handle high temperatures.

While chicks can handle living in a constant temperature, it needs to be both warm enough and cool enough. That's not that hard to achieve if you are in a stable environment like a climate-controlled house, but in a garage or other outbuilding you can get some pretty big temperature swings. My brooder is in the coop, I've had temperatures go from below freezing to in the 70's Fahrenheit (over 21 C) in less than a full day. I manage that by having a decent sized brooder (3' x 6'), wrapping it in winter so I can keep one end warm but having enough ventilation so the other end can cool off as needed. I use a heat lamp to keep one end toasty when the outside temperature is below freezing. The far end may have ice in it. But when it warms up and that heated end gets hot, the chicks simply migrate to the cooler end. That way I don't have to worry about keeping any one spot the perfect temperature, there will always be a spot in there somewhere that works. In reality you will see them going into and out of the warmer and cooler spots. They apparently don't like being in a constant temperature.

One risk with a heat lamp if your brooder is too small is that it keeps the entire brooder too warm, something like an aquarium is a good example. It helps to have the brooder big enough so you only heat one area. Also, I suggest you not use that clamp that comes with it to hold it in place, use wire or chain to hold it in place. Using wire or chain will greatly reduce any fire risk from that heat lamp.

They are in my garage so no drafts just colder Temps.

The chicks don't care what the temperatures are where they are not. It can be below freezing or above 100 F near by. They only care about being able to find an area the temperature they need when they need it.

 

[McChooky]

I agree ! The chicks will move to the cooler area if they get too warm but as long as you provide them adequate heat they'll find the most comfortable spot .

 

[Charlie trotter]

They're going to be fine. Chicks don't ever need *95, that's just the ever present bad info. on the Internet. Mine start at *80 and move down weekly from there. Reduce heat and watch behavior. If they're zooming around away from heat and then returning to heat to sleep, they're normal. I'm betting they are trying to get away from *95. This is a very informative thread..... http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

Ok I have another question. This week we will hit 5 below zero and then 5 degrees this will last about 3 days do I need to do anything different?

 

[McChooky]

Ok I have another question. This week we will hit 5 below zero and then 5 degrees this will last about 3 days do I need to do anything different?

Make sure you have a back up heater going in case one fails.

 

[Rmgheris]

We have had our chicks now for one week and they are doing great in the brooder. I live in West Tennessee and we have had mild weather up to this point but we are heading into a cold snap upper 20's at night which they have not dealt with yet.

Do I need to keep temp a little warmer or maybe the same (about 95 under lamp) or do I need to start reducing temp (around 90) since they are going into second week. They are in my garage so no drafts just colder Temps.

Yes, chicks need 95 degree temp and then reduce it by 5 degrees every week. They dont have there feathers yet so they will need the heat. Hi btw also from west Tennessee

 

[McChooky]

My 9 wk old chicks have a run with a deep layer of pine shavings & heat emitter they rarely use. I haven't reduced the heat or removed it.They acclimated themselves & roost at night.