Picked up 7 chicks today. Am I being paranoid?

[charliebobgordon]

Hello all. We picked up five 4 week old brahmas and two 1 day old Orpington’s today. We’ve put them all together in our brooder (1x1 meter).

We’ve got a 75W ceramic infrared bulb running and I keep getting paranoid that they’re not getting enough heat! It’s around 22C here outside during the day and around 13C at night. We’re raising them in the house. Do you think that sounds ok?

Since the Orpington’s are younger they keep huddling up to the Brahmas, does this mean they’re cold?

 

[CountryFlock]

When chicks huddle up it usually does mean they’re cold. I’d put a thermometer on the floor to get a temp reading of their environment.
For day olds I recommend higher than 92F.

I don’t see any day olds in that photo, are they in it?

 

[cmom]

The five 4 week olds, definitely don't need heat like the day olds, they are probably trying to get under the older chicks for warmth. Maybe you could put a covered heating pad in for them for heat. Good luck and have fun...

 

[2 many chickens]

Chicks like to snuggle together at that age.
I'd be concerned if they were huddled and not moving around. If they're getting up to eat and drink, they should be fine. Do you have a thermometer so you could check the brooder temp?

 

[charliebobgordon]

Thanks for all the responses!

They’re all sleeping at the moment, huddling together. Although they aren’t huddling together under the heat lamp, is that a good sign?

Yellow circle is the chicks and red circle is the location of the heat lamp, under the baking tray.

 

[charliebobgordon]

I’m going to get a thermometer tomorrow. Would you position the thermometer directly under the heat lamp?

 

[getaclue]

Personally, I'd do a separate brooder set up for the youngest ones. There is too much of a heat requirement variance between 1 day old chicks, and 4 week olds. Setting it up warm enough for the 1 day olds will make the 4 week olds too hot, and the settings for 4 week olds is way to cold for 1 day olds.

 

[cmom]

When chicks huddle up it usually does mean they’re cold. I’d put a thermometer on the floor to get a temp reading of their environment.
For day olds I recommend higher than 92F.

I don’t see any day olds in that photo, are they in it?

I think they are huddled with an older chick in the upper left of the picture.

 

[CountryFlock]

I’ve had no problems keeping 1 day olds with month olds. Maybe it’s a breed thing. I do it exclusively with orpingtons. I keep it at 92 and all the chicks are happy. I used a 250 watt bulb and it was even closer to them than your 75 watt bulb is. But then again, I had them in a 62F air conditioned room.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

If they're not getting enough heat then they will be dead smack under the light, and huddled together. The picture you show they're huddled up in a corner, more for safety there than warmth, and that is what they should look like. Also, when they are awake observe them, make sure they're running around and leaving under the light (which it appears they are).

Humans seem to forget sometimes that chickens are animals and lived and thrived just fine a very, very, very long time before they people decided to domesticate them. They're surprisingly well adapted by nature and they do a good job of regulating their heat. Not sure where you are located but this time of year with that many feathers in NC I'd likely be taking the light off any day now... but it doesn't get below 80 here at night for now.

Next comes the fun part of integrating your flock. I'll leave that to @Mrs. K though because she always doesn't like my style there.