Summer Brooder for Cornish x chicks

[Mike Fronczak]

We are getting our second batch of Cornish X chicks in mid July. We typically get laying cchicks in winter keep in a stock tank with a heat lamp in one end & keep in our garage. The first batch of Cornish X we got in April seemed to get to hot useing this set up, so I'm sure that is not what to use in July. Can we just put them in the tank with out a heat lamp, should I just change the heat lamp bulb to say a 40 watt incandescent ?

 

[silkiechicken]

I'd change the light to the 40W until you're sure they aren't going to get cold such as during the night. Then just take it out. I often removed heat lamps (60W bulbs) from my meat birds a week or two earlier than when I do layers. And the ambient temps in the spring go between 35-55F. They do just fine with their own heat production in a brooder. I find they overheat very easily so a fan might even be necessary depending on how warm you get.