Regulating the brooder temp?

[vjbakke]

We have our chicks out in our uninsulated garage. It still dips bellow freezing here at night. We're having some trouble getting the temp to stay at 95. We have a digital sensor in the brooder so we can see the temp inside. The 250 watt is hung above them. When I went to bed last night the thermometer said 96. When we woke up this morning it said 88. I am worried they might get too cold at night. The temp also reads very different depending on where the sensor is located. My husband said he moved it today and it said 125! But the chicks were staying under it and acting fine. Maybe I need a different type of thermometer? We had a plastic one like the kind you hang on your house outside and that one exploded after a few hours!

 

[tryingtohaveitall]

Wal-Mart sells a very inexpensive thermometer with hygrometer that we've used for both incubators and brooders. I think it was $5-6. However, if you're close and the chicks seem comfortable and happy, it sounds like you're doing fine.

 

[suzeqf]

i used a plastic thermometer in the far corner and i've finally found the "sweet" spot on the board i have my lamp clamped too and i regulate the temp by raising and lowering the lamp i've found that my little girls actually prefer it a bit cooler and that some of the big girls will sleep next to the "window" that looks into the little girls brooder because it's close the the light and they like it a bit warmer than the others do my little girls are 2 weeks and my big girls are 5 & 6 weeks

 

[Matt A NC]

I only use a thermometer when I first setup the brooder. Once the chicks are a few days old and settled in I let them tell me if it is too cool or hot.

The one I do use is a simple one with a remote sensor. All it measures is temp and it displays temp from the sensor and the display. I think it was $8 at walmart. I put the sensor in the brooder half way between the light and the cooler side. I get that point at 90-95. The area directly the light will be higher and away cooler. This lets the chicks decided for themselves where to be.

Matt