Room Temp for Brooder ?

[jmtcmkb]

My chicks are due to arrive at in a couple weeks. I live in a cold region and by the time they are ready to go out it will be 40-50* day time and 25-30 evenings. I dont have a garage or similar cool area to keep the brooder in. I do have a spare room that will be dedicated to them once they arrive. My question is do you think I should keep the room temp cool, ie' shut off the heat vent to the room and keep the door closed? Coldest it would probably go down to would be 60 I am guessing, or I could open the window slightly from the top ( not a draft danger it would be high and away from brooder) to make cooler.

 

[cupman]

The ideal temperature for fresh baby chickens is 95 degrees. I got my new chicks yesterday and they are sitting in a brooder that fluctuates 80-85 degrees and they are doing fine. Your best bet is to get a thermometer and just write down temperatures at different times during the day. 60 is probably a bit low for newborn chicks, I wouldn't feel comfortable with the temperature dropping below 70 or 75. Just do some test runs before they show up to keep it warm and before you know it 60 degrees will be a cake walk for your birds to withstand.

 

[jmtcmkb]

Okay, yes I will keep the brooder warm, I am going to use an Ecoglow and they will be in a secure brooder draft free- the normal room temp is 70, I am just thinking I should slowly lower to room temp, so it will make an easier transition when they are feathered out and move outdoors, does this make sense?

 

[cupman]

Oh yeah, absolutely, I misunderstood I suppose. It's a good rule of thumb to drop the temperature in your brooder 10 degrees every week starting after the second week I've heard. If your heat source is just an on/off light with no adjustable settings you can probably just hang the light higher and higher to reduce temperatures inside the brooder. Another thing people do to help transition is turn the heat lamp off during the days.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I put my brooder in the coop. I set up a light where I can keep one small area the right temperature and let the far corners cool off as they will. It is often 30 degrees cooler in the far corners. The chicks play alll over the brooder and come back to the heat when they need to. That is a surprisingly small amount of the time. I'd go bonkers trying to keep the entire brooder the right temperature. I let them determine their comfort zone.

I do have a good draft guard so they do not have a breeze blowing on them and I can keep that one area in the right temperature range. With the temperatres you are talking about, I'd suggest a cardboard ring or some way to keep them near the heat for the first few days, but by the time they are a couple of day sold, they should know to come back to the heat. Your danger period is at night when it gets that cold.

For your specific question about the room in your house. Initially, say for the first week, I'd probably try to keep the temperature in there same as the rest of the house. Just keep one area in the brooder warm for them. After that first week they will be very active and mobile. You can lower the temperature in the room if you wish, as long as they have a warm spot to go to. I think they do feather out faster and acclimate themselves better if they are given that chance to play in cooler temperatures. It does not have to be all day long. Just a half hour a day will help acclimate them.

If they get cold, they will tell you. They'll huddle under the light to try to keep warm and huddle together to keep each other warm. But it is normal for them to sleep in a bunch anyway for the comfort of having their buddies close. Them huddling when they sleep does not mean they are cold. If they are cold, you will hear a distress peeping. You'll recognize something is wrong when you hear it. It is a loud piercing peep.

Good luck!

 

[jmtcmkb]

thank you both very much! Good advice, I think we will be fine as long as I am attentive and watch their behavior, just like my own kids

 

[teach1rusl]

Yes - I like your idea of closing off vents initially, and then opening a window a bit to transition them to coop weather when it's time for them to go out. Some say if they're feathered out, they should go out. But that's crazy IMO, if they're use to 70 degree house temps by 4 or 5 weeks and then get booted out to 40 degree weather. It should always be as gradual as possible for the little ones.
Unless you're able to provide a lamp in the coop - most pet supply places sell 50W and 75W heat bulbs to help them transition down that way...

 

[jmtcmkb]

Quote:
Ok thank you very much, this is exactly what I will do it makes sense to me and it will be a slow process by the time they go out the room temp will be very cool so it wont be that big a shock.