Two heating lamps?

[TribeWild]

We just got our first chicks, 6 total, and they're currently in a 50gal storage container in our basement. We have a heating lamp on one side and noticed that they wont leave the area under the heat lamp, even to eat or drink (we pushed everything closer to the lamp as soon as we noticed and they chowed down right away) and if we pick the chicks up they start shivering as soon as we bring them out from under the heat lamp. Should we put another heat lamp at the opposite end of the container until they get bigger or is just the single one fine for now?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

You should have a thermometer in use with that lamp. Too hot or too cold is bad.
Use the thermometer to adjust the height of the lamp.

 

[Peppercorngal]

If the chicks won't leave from under the lamp they are obviously cold. With only six chicks you shouldn't need two. Are you using a heat bulb or a regular bulb? They are different. I had 28 chicks and had two heating lamps, I used one white and one red. I found the chicks liked the red one better! Anyway, use a thermometer to check the temps. Sounds like you are not using a heat lamp bulb. How high do you have the light? Lower it some and see how the chicks react. Good luck!!

 

[TribeWild]

We have a heat lamp and 125w heat bulb for it.. I don't have a regular thermometer right now but I grabbed my husband's inferred thermometer (he said its a cheap one and hes not sure how accurate it is) and the space directly under the lamp (the chicks were sitting a bit further away from where I measured) read 115 f so I moved the lamp up and will check again in a bit. The opposite side of the bin, away from the lamp, read 60 f.

 

[Stephine]

How cold is your basement? Do you have a nice thick layer of pine shavings for them? If not, do that, because the floor will be cold! I wouls not do 2 lamps - they need the option of moving to a cooler spot to regulate. What kind of lamp and bulb are you using? How high up? Try an actual heat lamp if you’re not already using that, a red one is much more comfortable for the chicks than glaring white (make sure it doesn’t turn whiter over time, some cheaper ones will fade quickly). Lower the lamp to increase warmth, put a thermometer straight under it on the bedding and make sure it reaches 90. For the first day or two it is always best to move feed and water just outside of their warm spot so they can stay cozy while they drink and eat. You should be able to move it further away on day 3.

 

[TribeWild]

How cold is your basement? Do you have a nice thick layer of pine shavings for them? If not, do that, because the floor will be cold! I wouls not do 2 lamps - they need the option of moving to a cooler spot to regulate. What kind of lamp and bulb are you using? How high up? Try an actual heat lamp if you’re not already using that, a red one is much more comfortable for the chicks than glaring white (make sure it doesn’t turn whiter over time, some cheaper ones will fade quickly). Lower the lamp to increase warmth, put a thermometer straight under it on the bedding and make sure it reaches 90. For the first day or two it is always best to move feed and water just outside of their warm spot so they can stay cozy while they drink and eat. You should be able to move it further away on day 3.

It's an unfinished basement and it's about 44f outside here right now, so it's not super cold but i would say around 60f in the basement?
I'll try to put more bedding in and see if that helps. To repeat what i said in another post, we have a 125w heat bulb (I'll see if I can find the box to see exactly what kind it is) and whrn i used an infrared thermometer and the bedding directly under the lamp measured 115f so I moved the lamp up a bit higher. However the bedding outside the lamp measured 60f, so I can see why they don't want to leave the area.

 

[Stephine]

It's an unfinished basement and it's about 44f outside here right now, so it's not super cold but i would say around 60f in the basement?
I'll try to put more bedding in and see if that helps. To repeat what i said in another post, we have a 125w heat bulb (I'll see if I can find the box to see exactly what kind it is) and whrn i used an infrared thermometer and the bedding directly under the lamp measured 115f so I moved the lamp up a bit higher. However the bedding outside the lamp measured 60f, so I can see why they don't want to leave the area.

Sorry, I was writing when you posted...
Yes, thick bedding then and having the feed and water close should be all that’s needed.

 

[Starwise]

For newly hatched chicks, they need temperature about 90F. For each week, we lowered it by 5F or so. Since the 6th week I've kept it around 65-70 on the warmed end and now at 8 weeks getting ready to integrate them into the coop with the big hens.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I put my 6 (day old chicks) in a large plastic bin with a heat lamp on my front porch last day of March, 2 years ago and lost one on day 4.
I then moved them to my kitchen till they were 2 weeks old.
They are very fragile the first 2 weeks. Vulnerable to temperature changes.
Temperatures fluctuated 30 degrees Fahrenheit between day and night on my porch.
That chick left the heat to feed during the night and I found her in the morning with her beak in the feed. It looked like she fell asleep. GC

 

[TribeWild]

Update: added more bedding and moved the heating lamp a bit farther away and they seem to be doing fine.
I'm thinking I had the lamp too close, causing them to be too hot, but the areas they could go to to escape the heat was too cold for them.
Last time I went down they were running around under the lamp and eating and drinking!