My heat lamp was off

[They Call Me Pete]

When I got up this morning went down to check on the "kids" and found the light off. Come to find out bulb has a loose connection inside it so I'll be replacing it as soon as stores open. All the chicks were huddled together in a corner but got the light working and put them under it ASAP and they were shivering but doing fine now. I was expecting to find four dead chicks. Tough little troopers

 

[MuranoFarms]

Awwwwww! I'm glad their warm now!

There was a story a few weeks back about a little one getting out of the brooder and spending the weekend running around an office. He was fine. Sometimes I think they're a lot tougher then we think.

 

[Uzuri]

My Dad (who used to raise chicks a lot) claims that the temperature is less a culprit in deaths related to losing the lamp than crushing from the chicks bunching up -- which of course means that if you have 4 chicks you're less likely to have them die than if you have 40

Obviously if they get chilled enough they may have other complications, but so long as they're in a reasonably warm area that's unlikely to happen before you notice the light out.

But the derned things are awfully tough, aren't they?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I'm glad they are okay.

 

[Carpe DiHen]

So glad to hear they're ok. I was wondering how many back up bulbs I should get...one

two

twenty...

 

[Bullwinkle]

I had my electricity go out for a while last year. They chicks were fine except within a day or so about 12 of them got Pasty Butt.
I'm not sure if that might happen to yours... but I'd keep an eye out....

 

[Intheswamp]

Having a backup lamp burning helps in case the primary light "blows". The backup can simply be a regular household lightbulb (as can be the primary in some instances). Naturally you need to experiment with placement, etc., with the backup lamp.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Keep an eye on them for pasting for the next several days. It's a common stress reaction problem. Won't always happen, but it's common enough.

.....Alan.

 

[catdaddy66]

How critical is it to have exactly 95 degrees week 1, then 90 and so on. Will 93-94 be ok the first week?

 

[Uzuri]

Quote:
You just need to watch them; they'll tell you if they're cold (by huddling in the hottest part of the brooder). Changes are, 93 would be OK, but you'd best make sure that your lamp can actually heat an area up to about 100 just in case. You don't want to be in a situation where the chicks say they're cold and then you can't warm things up any more than they already are.