New to chicks, not to chickens.

[enrgizerbunny]

At a week old they're already starting to get some feathers. Here's a picture of the final configuration. They're up and moving when it's warm out. The 100w heat bulb will be swapped for a 250 so that the lamp can be raised to accommodate another 6 chicks.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

First time I've caught them exploring. Forgot to plug the heat lamp back in last night, but they weren't even huddling this morning (overnight low was in the upper 30s). Tail and wing feathers are coming in. They seem to be doing fine, but I've never raised chicks before so I don't know if this is normal progression, accelerated, or slow. They were hatched 3/6 and I picked them up 3/8.

Second half of chicks comes in tomorrow.

 

[Huntmaster]

First time I've caught them exploring. Forgot to plug the heat lamp back in last night, but they weren't even huddling this morning (overnight low was in the upper 30s). Tail and wing feathers are coming in. They seem to be doing fine, but I've never raised chicks before so I don't know if this is normal progression, accelerated, or slow. They were hatched 3/6 and I picked them up 3/8.

Second half of chicks comes in tomorrow.

With only being a week old 30-degree lows, they will still need the added heat. I would start to raise lamp each week slowly dropping temps in brooder until your outdoor low temps are the same as your high temp in brooder, or at least a few more weeks.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

With only being a week old 30-degree lows, they will still need the added heat. I would start to raise lamp each week slowly dropping temps in brooder until your outdoor low temps are the same as your high temp in brooder, or at least a few more weeks.

As far as I know, if they aren't huddling together or under the heat source they're comfortable with the temperature they're at. And the opposite being true, that constantly huddling chicks are too cold. Is this correct?

I have a 100W ceramic emitter in a heat lamp pretty low in the "brooder" (it's a cardboard box) and it is free from drafts and seems cozy under there. I ordered/installed a 250W emitter, but it seemed like it was going to be a fire hazard given the temp it got in 10 minutes, so they're still under the 100W.