donrae
Rest in Peace -2017
I"m seeing it from the other way. I think the chicks may be too warm.
If ambient temp is 76 degrees, and you have a heat lamp ( a big ol' red heat lamp?) only 18 inches from the chicks, they're going to cook. A heat lamp of that size in a plastic bin that small, the chicks really can't get out from under the heat very well. And at 2 weeks, they should be spending a fair amount of time out from under the heat completely.
My brooder is a livestock trough, with the heat lamp set above the level of the side of the trough. In my un heated, un insulated garage. My 2 and 3 week old chicks are pretty much evenly scattered over the brooder when I check on them...some under the heat, some at the other end eating or drinking or pecking at the dirt I put in there.
I think you need a larger brooder.
I think you need to raise the heat lamp a bit and angle it so there's a definite cooler space for the chicks.
food and water should be in the cool space. If there's not enough space to keep the water from getting heated by the heat lamp, there's not enough space for the chicks to get out from under the heat.
A chick raised by a broody hen, at 2 weeks, is going to be out from under momma for several hours at a time during the day, no matter how cold it is. Being under momma is warm and cozy, but it's boring and there's nothing to eat there. So, they're out and about doing chickie things quite a bit, then pop back under for a warm-up. A brooder should allow them to mimic that.
If ambient temp is 76 degrees, and you have a heat lamp ( a big ol' red heat lamp?) only 18 inches from the chicks, they're going to cook. A heat lamp of that size in a plastic bin that small, the chicks really can't get out from under the heat very well. And at 2 weeks, they should be spending a fair amount of time out from under the heat completely.
My brooder is a livestock trough, with the heat lamp set above the level of the side of the trough. In my un heated, un insulated garage. My 2 and 3 week old chicks are pretty much evenly scattered over the brooder when I check on them...some under the heat, some at the other end eating or drinking or pecking at the dirt I put in there.
I think you need a larger brooder.
I think you need to raise the heat lamp a bit and angle it so there's a definite cooler space for the chicks.
food and water should be in the cool space. If there's not enough space to keep the water from getting heated by the heat lamp, there's not enough space for the chicks to get out from under the heat.
A chick raised by a broody hen, at 2 weeks, is going to be out from under momma for several hours at a time during the day, no matter how cold it is. Being under momma is warm and cozy, but it's boring and there's nothing to eat there. So, they're out and about doing chickie things quite a bit, then pop back under for a warm-up. A brooder should allow them to mimic that.
