Still questioning baby chicks

[HollowOfWisps]

You mentioned your chicks are three weeks old. 80 degrees could be used at the warmest spot, but they would need cooler places as well. 85-90 would be the temp used for day old chicks. They are too hot.
Personally I would not use heat with 3 week old chicks in the summer.

Turn off the lamp.

I agree with both of them just turn it off. I missed the three week part.

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 3 weeks old with temps in the 70s in the house, they're fine without heat. They'd be fine even at 60.

 

[GlicksChicks]

If you are worried about keeping them warm without a heat lamp, consider getting a heat plate. They can get under it when cold and out from under it when too hot. Like a mother hen. Then you will have happy chicks.

There have been people who have killed their chicks from them getting too hot. If you had them in a solid brooder, not a cage like that, they would surely be gone by now.

 

[Allegra17]

Are you using a digital thermometer? If so there is a good chance that is off. They cannot be calibrated and often are inaccurate. Those chicks huddling away like that is them telling you that they are too hot. They need to be able to get away from the heat and they cannot with this current setup. Chicks do not need to be kept in a hot area constantly, but rather have access to somewhere warm to go when they need to heat back up

I turned the lamp waaay down. Now my thermometer says 77 degrees. The chicks are still cuddled together in that same spot. Surely they can’t still be too hot right??

 

[Allegra17]

At 3 weeks old with temps in the 70s in the house, they're fine without heat. They'd be fine even at 60.

So I won’t kill them if I turn off the heat entirely?? The farm I got them from said to keep part of their area at 90 degrees

 

[Allegra17]

If you are worried about keeping them warm without a heat lamp, consider getting a heat plate. They can get under it when cold and out from under it when too hot. Like a mother hen. Then you will have happy chicks.

There have been people who have killed their chicks from them getting too hot. If you had them in a solid brooder, not a cage like that, they would surely be gone by now.

I actually have one. I couldn’t figure out the right height for it so I switched back to the lamp. I was worried about how to make sure it was warm enough and how to make sure they have light at night.

I have this https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CH8P1NDL?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[Allegra17]

You mentioned your chicks are three weeks old. 80 degrees could be used at the warmest spot, but they would need cooler places as well. 85-90 would be the temp used for day old chicks. They are too hot.
Personally I would not use heat with 3 week old chicks in the summer.

So I don’t need a heat lamp or a heating plate if my house is 70-74 degrees?

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

We switched to the heat plates because the lamps are too hard for us to adjust. We hatched 11 chicks last Wed/Thursday and we have the heat plate on but as mentioned they run in and out all the time. I just checked on them and they were running around the brooder and seem to sitting on top of the plate as it too is warm. Tomorrow we will raise the heat plate up as they seem not to need as much direct heat. Another thing we noticed is those chicks who had the heat plate did not have any incidents of pasty butt. Coincidence maybe but just and observation. So far we have raised 80 day old chicks since the beginning of April. The one thing you do need to consider is are they sitting around an air vent.

 

[rosemarythyme]

So I won’t kill them if I turn off the heat entirely?? The farm I got them from said to keep part of their area at 90 degrees

90 degrees would be for 1 week old and under, and even then they still require an area that's 10 degrees cooler or more.

Think of how a mama hen broods naturally - the chicks don't stay under her around the clock, they can be out and about even down to freezing temperatures without an issue. They go under her to warm up but spend much of their time away from her warmth in order to eat and explore.

 

[Allegra17]

90 degrees would be for 1 week old and under, and even then they still require an area that's 10 degrees cooler or more.

Think of how a mama hen broods naturally - the chicks don't stay under her around the clock, they can be out and about even down to freezing temperatures without an issue. They go under her to warm up but spend much of their time away from her warmth in order to eat and explore.

I switched it out with a heating plate but they’ve just been chirping super loudly the last hour nonstop…