Poultry in my bathroom... temperature question + new pics

[slaird61]

Hi everyone,

My baby chicks are now two weeks old and they are living in a cardboard box brooder in my bathroom. I keep my house at about 73 degrees and the bathroom stays really warm with the chicks' heat lamp. I think the chicks may be too hot. They crowd away from the heat lamp and sometimes the Ameraucanas pant. I tried to raise the little clip-on light up as much as possible so it won't be so hot but they still seem hot. The thermometer says it's only 85 degrees in the box but I'm wondering if it should be cooler. I know you start at 90 degrees and decrease by 10 degrees every week so the chicks should be ok with 70 degrees next week, right? Does that mean I can take the heat lamp away all together and just let them live with my house temp?

BTW here are some photos of my baby chicks at 8 days old and of my older roos.

I am a week behind on photos. Also, can anyone give me an estimate on how old you think my roos are? They were dumped at my house so I don't really know how old they were when I got them.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

The recommended temps are to start at 90-95 the first week, then decrease by 5 degrees per week until fully feathered at 5-6 weeks. They should always be able to get away from the heat.

Panting means they are way too hot. If your house is that warm round the clock you might be able at this point to switch to a 100 watt bulb- that is all I ever use anyways anymore- two bulbs to begin with, then one bulb, then a 60 watt bulb in the coop eventually until they don't act cold.

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html

My two week olds usually like around 80 degrees, though.

What you should be seeing is the chicks forming a circle around the light - not trying to get right under it, and not trying to get away from it at the edge of the box.

I usually don't need to look at the thermometer much after I first get set up- I just watch the chicks. Loud cheeping and huddling together means they are cold.

 

[chillmiller]

my brooder the day i set it up some how it spiked to 120F right under the light i backed it off checked again and then i just lift it like 2-4" a week watching the chicks mine just like to form little huddles all over the pen though not under the light but little groups all over some close some further away ect ect