I have received many boxes of baby chicks over the years, mostly raised them with the Heat lamps (100 watt was sufficient). For the last batch I made two changes. First, I bought a Brinsea heating plate. Set it up level for several days, then switched to Tilted. I love this as the heat is consistent, no fire hazard and easy to keep warm & cool zones. The Tilt also keeps them from jumping on top so much. Second change was to set up their brooder box at table height. This had an amazing affect on the chicks. Having the brooder higher was easier for me to look under the heater and check on them. The chicks were less frightened, and I was able to more easily handle them to check for health issues. When I come at them from a 5 to 6 ft height, they react like I am a hawk or owl. When i appear just a few feet above, it is more like a mama hen. Even now, the grown hens don't run from me. From now on, I will always set up at table height, rather than on the floor. Another benefit the Heat plate gave is being able to have a more natural light set up. They actually slept at night as chickens should.
