What wrong with my Brooder?

[Jayecookie]

The heat lamp is on the other side of the brooder (other side of water) but there all in the cold spot... so I thought is was to hot but there all huddled together meaning there cold. I don’t know is there a draft? The heat lamp is 20 inches above and I just don’t want the chickens to be to cold or hot. I need help. Also the brooder box is in the closet in my bathroom. So do I need to close the doors. I could close the closet door, the bathroom door, and or the room door. (I tried to test the temp with a digital thermometer but it kept changing it answer and would most like say low and not read anything.

 

[chickens really]

They look too warm because they are not laying under the heated area but away from it..Temp should be taken at Chick height..I used a digital one and hung it at Chick height..

 

[igorsMistress]

How old are your chicks? How big is your brooder?
Sounds like your thermometer needs batteries or it's not for room temp monitoring and you need a different one.
In your pic they're not really huddled, they are near each other as chicks would normally be under their mama.
I would deal with the thermometer first to see how warm it is. Even at 20 inches those heat lamps can easily make it too warm in there.

 

[Jayecookie]

His is them a couple seconds ago... are they still to hot?

 

[chickens really]

Raise the heat lamp to see what happens...

 

[andreanar]

You def need a thermometer in there! It looks to me to be too small for there to be a cooler side. And I would not close them in a closet. That heat light will cause the closet to get way too warm. In my experience chicks like to be close to each other. YOu can get a brooder thermometer at a feed store

 

[NancyNurseCxMama]

Are they running around, eating, peeping?
Peeping continuously?
I have only raised one bunch of chicks but I used a plain old cheap thermometer from TSC---cost about $2, I think, and leaned it on the wall of the brooder box. Despite temps that were appropriate according to the thermometer they sometimes looked too warm or too cold so I got into the habit of adjusting the heat lamp according to behavior instead of the temperature on the thermometer.
They took it upon themselves to rest closer or further away from the heat lamp.
Love your chicks---barred rock (that little dot on their heads)?

 

[peeper89]

You def need a thermometer in there! It looks to me to be too small for there to be a cooler side. And I would not close them in a closet. That heat light will cause the closet to get way too warm. In my experience chicks like to be close to each other. YOu can get a brooder thermometer at a feed store

i think this best answer! too little box whole thing look hot. dont put baby in closet they need air. them chick r so cute wish they get better