Micromanaging heat...aren't chickens smarter than us?

[FirewifeJess]

I read many books that spoke of micromanaging the temperature in the brooder with a thermometer and using the method of raising and/or lowering the lamp in the brooder until things are just right, and continuing to do this each week. Does anyone else see this as pointless? I finally got a single bit of advice from a seasoned chicken keeper that as long as there is a warm area and a cool area in the brooder or coop (wherever they are being raised from day 1 until feathered) that they're smart enough to know when to seek the warm area and warm up, and vice versa. I found this to be true with my own girls as they've been in their coop in cold rainy WA weather since 3 weeks old, with the heat lamp in the back corner, and I've never worried that they are too cold. Is this just a preference thing or is it really a myth that they need to be heat micromanaged?

 

[donrae]

I've always loved reading that. Cause you know, momma hen turns down her body temp every week as she's brooding those babies!

I do as you're saying. It's closest to natural. Broody hatched baby chicks spend most of the first days under momma, then come out for increasing times as they age. But if the weather's at all nice, they spend good parts of the day out from under her at whatever the ambient temp is. So I keep a light, like momma, where they can warm up and fall asleep standing up--so funny!-- and a cooler space, where they can move around.

I think lots of folks use too small an area and keep the chicks too warm, mistakenly thinking they need to be broody warm 24/7.

 

[geepy]

I agree donrae, but maybe our hens need to read the books...lol
I have broody hens with chicks and in the warm weather they never even go under then hen.

 

[donrae]

Hey, right now I'd be thrilled if my broody hens read a sign that says "stay on your own stinking nest! And no egg stealing!"

Yeah, I'll hold my breath on that one......................


It just hurts to see all the posts about folks losing chicks and you know they're inadvertently cooking them.

 

[FirewifeJess]

It just hurts to see all the posts about folks losing chicks and you know they're inadvertently cooking them.

I'm still pretty new to all this chicken stuff, but that was my first thought every time I read a post about a bunch of chicks dying for no reason! I just don't understand why all the books are so adamant about micromanaging the heat when all chicks need is a warm spot and a cool spot. The rest is up to their own instincts!

 

[7L Farm]

More space in the brooder is needed. People are cooking there chicks. I've done it when I use to use heat lamps. I could never get the temp right.No more I now brood like this. I hated worrying about cooking my chicks:

 

[Chemguy]

I had 3-day-old chicks leaving their mother to explore when it was 35 degrees outside. When they got cold, they went back under. I've learned more of the practical points about raising chickens by watching chickens than I have by reading about chickens.

 

[highpointfarm]

Yup you got it right, as long as their is a large cool down area, and under the heat lamp iit is around 85.... maybe a little warmer the first week but after that, just leave it at 85.... as they get older they will just spend less and lesss time under the lamp.... BTW am I the one that told you that? Because I just told someone I just dotn remember who lol... If you do this the chicks will feather out MUCH quicker then micromanaging them... Usually in less than 4 weeks =]

 

[featherz]

Yep, I use an ecoglow too. And the chicks are rarely under it except at night and the first few days of life. I've got broodies right now and it's about 50 outside - those chicks are running around with no heat at all for the most part (but they have it if they need it, under mom). No more cases of pasty butt either since ditching the heat lamps. They really do NOT need as much heat as peeps think.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Yup you got it right, as long as their is a large cool down area, and under the heat lamp iit is around 85.... maybe a little warmer the first week but after that, just leave it at 85.... as they get older they will just spend less and lesss time under the lamp.... BTW am I the one that told you that? Because I just told someone I just dotn remember who lol... If you do this the chicks will feather out MUCH quicker then micromanaging them... Usually in less than 4 weeks =]

No I was told by my chick seller in Seattle. He does the same thing at his little shop and they were all fine! However, I didn't notice a fast feathering of my girls...some of them are still sprouting feathers on their heads at 5.5 weeks!