neurotic Qs about temperature and red bulb use

[patandchickens]

Picking up the chicks tomorrow (*not* Sun or Mon as I'd thought. Ack!), so I'm trying to get the brooder warmed up and stabilized for them.

Q1: Please confirm whether I'm measuring brooder temperature correctly -- I have a regular ol' mercury thermometer lying on the bedding (paper towels over shavings), positioned directly below where the edge of the heat-lamp reflector is. Is that right? (My DH thinks the thermometer should be underneath something, to get a correct 'in the shade' reading, but......?)

Q2: Is it ok to use only a red heatlamp bulb, right from the beginning? (There is dim but decent ambient light in the room from about 6 a.m. til about 7 p.m., partly from small windows and partly from there being a table with timer-ed plant-starting lights near the brooder.) But I have read a few places about using an additional white light for the first few days to attract them to the heat and so they can find their food/water.

So should I rig up a desk lamp too? (FWIW, this is a 2'x4' brooder for 20 chicks, with the heat lamp hung a bit closer to one end of the box than the other... they can't get *too* far away from the lamp, but there definitely is the cool end and the warm end.)

Aaackkkk, and thank you in advance,

Pat

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Pat-BREATHE!

Geez for someone who is always collected and knowledgeable you are panicing.

1. Your temp reading is fine. Remember once the chicks come to watch them and use them as your gauge.

2. Red heat lamp only is fine.

BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE!!!!!

They will be fine. Relax and enjoy them!

 

[patandchickens]

Panicking? Of course I'm panicking - what's your point?

LOL

It's just that these will be my first chicks (existing chickens came mostly-grown) and I'm afraid that if I just sit back and say 'well, looks like everything's taken care of, they should be fine', they will all die in some stupid and entirely preventable way. And then not only will I feel like a horrible chick murderer but I will have to explain it to my 3 year old =:0

If I worry and dither over preparations, then at least if the worst happens I can feel like I tried my best

Thank you for answering my questions and injecting a moment of common sense into my day

Pat, off to write "BREATHE" on the chalkboard 40 times <g>

 

[ticks]

I was frantic everday up until when I got my chicks. when you do get them you will check on them a lot it is just instinct. All of the things you mentioned are perfect. Once you get them past the 2-3 night your golden. Good luck Pat.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:

You think this is bad, try incubating them yourself.

It will be my turn to panic Mother's Day weekend!