Regulating Temp

[brittanyes]

I just brought home some chicks this past Monday (2/29) 3 RIR and 3 Black Sex Links, I have them in a pretty big box with a brooder lamp I've tried all different heights for the lamp and they have an area to move away from it but they still pant like they are hot no matter what I do. They all lay scattered around the box since day one. Im a first timer so any advice would be nice! Thank you!

 

[azygous]

Lots of new chick people think the brooder has to be all nice and uniformly warm, like an oven, and that's why the chicks may be having a problem with the heat. They have no cool zones to cool off.

The heat guidelines are helpful and it would be even more helpful if it pointed out that the recommended temps are measured directly beneath the heat source only, and the rest of the brooder must be much cooler!

As has already been suggested, a much lower wattage bulb, 100 or even 60 watts, might be adequate. It's a shame they sell only those 250 watt bulbs with the chicks when they're more suited to keeping food hot.

I suggest the heating pad system for greater chick comfort and less heat related problems.

Also, you can rig up a brooding pen outdoors easily, either in your run or in the coop, regardless of adult chickens. See my article linked below in my signature line. Baby chicks benefit greatly from much cooler ambient temps as well as having a much larger space in which to grow and develop.

 

[BoomChickaPop]

Do you have a thermometer in their brooder.
Here is the list for the proper temps for brooding chicks
Week 1 -95 degrees
Week 2-90 degrees
Week 3-85 degrees
Week 4-80 degrees
Week 5-75 degrees
Week 6-70 degrees
Week 7-65 degrees
65 Degrees is the lowest you can go

You just keep lowering the temp by 5 degrees until they are big enough to go outside. I put my chicks outside at 4 weeks beause they get so aggravating ( Week 4 is the week they learn that they have sprouted wings, and they start flying out of the brooder).

Hope this helps
BCP

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They might be just fine with your house temperatures, I will often start at 85 for my chicks, 90 is the top that I start at. Certainly don't use the 250, you could give them heat stroke. I would try a 100 watt if you can find one, I personally use the 125 watt heat bulb.

 

[deerchooper]

im not a pro or a newbee. but I have never ever used a heat lamp in the house, and the 40-50 chicks I raised in the last 4 years have all done well with the 71* house temp.

I will put them outside in a couple weeks with a heat lamp due to it is still cold in ohio, just because they get messy as they get older with dust.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How old are they. You need to use a thermometer to initially set the temperature than adjust according to their behavior and age. If you are brooding in a heated house they may not require too much heat depending on age. What wattage is your bulb, you may have to use less watts, a hundred or even sixty, don't use a 250, they are too hot unless brooding outside.

 

[brittanyes]

I do have a thermometer in there and it says 95, I'm not 100% on how old they are but this is my 4th day they are pretty fuzy but have wing feathers and just starting to get tail feathers. I have tried to lower temp but it doesn't seem to help. They are in my house which is always kept 80-85 (I hate the cold), the wattage of the light is 250 I could try a lower wattage I'll try a different thermometer too

 

[silkwormlady]

I do have a thermometer in there and it says 95, I'm not 100% on how old they are but this is my 4th day they are pretty fuzy but have wing feathers and just starting to get tail feathers. I have tried to lower temp but it doesn't seem to help. They are in my house which is always kept 80-85 (I hate the cold), the wattage of the light is 250 I could try a lower wattage I'll try a different thermometer too

We adjusted the apparent temp (as indicated by behavior - huddling together=cold; getting far away from heat lamp=hot BY raising the height of the lamp and then by lowering the wattage of the bulb. With the heat in your house (I'd be panting, too), you may need to try both measures. If the box they're in has a solid top, may need to vent it somehow, too.

 

[silkwormlady]

This is

Lots of new chick people think the brooder has to be all nice and uniformly warm, like an oven, and that's why the chicks may be having a problem with the heat. They have no cool zones to cool off.

The heat guidelines are helpful and it would be even more helpful if it pointed out that the recommended temps are measured directly beneath the heat source only, and the rest of the brooder must be much cooler!

As has already been suggested, a much lower wattage bulb, 100 or even 60 watts, might be adequate. It's a shame they sell only those 250 watt bulbs with the chicks when they're more suited to keeping food hot.

I suggest the heating pad system for greater chick comfort and less heat related problems.

Also, you can rig up a brooding pen outdoors easily, either in your run or in the coop, regardless of adult chickens. See my article linked below in my signature line. Baby chicks benefit greatly from much cooler ambient temps as well as having a much larger space in which to grow and develop.

This is likely in your expanded info, but from what I read in BYC, the Heating Pad in a separate pen for the chicks, in the coop is a good way of all the chickens getting more used to each other. My newbies are going to be my "experiment" with this, long as I can be assured I get the Heating Pad working correctly!

 

[brittanyes]

I thought my box was big enough but it sounds like they need a lower wattage light and also more room to get away from the heat if needed. Thank you all for your advice I'm gonna put it to test!