Temperature?

[JennTx]

Hi

I was hoping someone could help me regarding temperature in a brooder for day old chicks, that I just brought home from the feed store today. I've read that the brooder temp needs to be between 90-100 degrees, but how constant does the temp have to be?

I'm using a 100 watt red bulb, and have a digital thermometer (placed on the floor inside the brooder) to keep track of the temp. But I am having trouble keeping the temp constant. For instance, I will be sitting there watching them, and the therm. will read 95.4, I will walk away and come back, and it will then read 99.2. I then re-adjust the light, and it will go back down to 94 or 95 degrees. Only to find it back up to 98 or even 100 when I go check on them in about 10 minutes.

What am I doing wrong? And will this hurt my chicks?

 

[JennsPeeps]

They'll be fine. They'll self regulate their temps by getting away or going to the light as needed.

Do you have a lid on the brooder? That might explain why it's warming up so much. Try raising up the light a few inches to see if that helps.

 

[gritsar]

IMO, 100 degrees is too hot. Like Jenn said, they can self regulate by getting closer or further away from the light as they need and that's the key to the whole thing.
Watch your chicks. If they are huddling under the heat lamp, they're too cold. Staying as far away from the heat lamp as they can and they are too hot.

 

[JennTx]

Thank you so much for replying.

I think we have it figured out now, where it is a constant 95 degrees in the side with the lamp, and then around 88/89 degrees on the other side of the brooder. Does that sound about right?

All my chicks seem to be doing great, and will sit under the lamp for a little while, then hop over to the "cool" side to eat and drink, and then hop back towards the light and take a nap. So, I hope that means the temp. is comfortable for them.

Thank you again!!! This is the first time I have ever raised chicks, and I find myself second guessing everything I do, just like when my son was first born.

 

[montcapu]

don't worry about second guessing yourself, there is no dumb question and if you do not know they you should ask... but your chicks seem to be doing just fine

 

[Big dreams]

A little word of advice, don't read to many post in the preditor section or the illness section

Only if someone gets sick, and do read about coop design and construction,

I am only kidding, but if your not careful you will get to worried about every little thing, and believe me, chickens are tough little critters! Good luck and enjoy.

 

[Hannah Jesenko]

The temperature should be kept as steady as possiable but it shouldnt hyrt your chicks as ling as the temperature is 95- 100 degrees, rememmber to lower the temperature 5 degrees each week, or they will overheat!

 

[RonC]

Don't try to heat the whole brooder to the same temperature. You need an area in the brooder near the recommended temperature of 95 degrees for the first week. After the first week you can drop that by 5-7 degrees per week. Give them plenty of room.They need to be able to move to a cooler area in the brooder if they get too warm. That is how they regulate their body temperature. The warm area would be the equivalent of being under mama chicken. The rest of the brooder should be room temperature. As they get older they will spend more time away from the heat of the lamp returning to it when chilled. By week three or four they may not even need the additional heat depending on your climate.