When can I remove the heat lamp from the brooder

[cloey011]

Hi everyone, my chicks are 4 weeks old now and doing very well, growing very fast!
They're still in the brooder in my upstairs spare room.
I didn't purchase a temp reader

So I can't tell the exact temp in the brooder, all I know is that it feels like 90 degrees up there, I have a wood burning stove and the upstairs rooms get very warm. I think that with the heat lamp on they might be to hot. I turned it off tonight, first time in the dark for them, I hear them doing a lot of complaining up there, could that mean that they're cold? I don't know if I should still keep it on even thought the temperature in the room is very warm, any thoughts?

 

[micah wotring]

Chicks will regulate their temp by going under the light or spreading out as far from the light as possible.

If they are all cuddled up then they are not warm enough and if they are all spread out away from under the heat light than they are too hot.

Peeping could mean that they are too cold but it sounds like they are pretty warm in that room.

The real indicator is if they are cuddling or not.

A good idea is to put the heat light on one end of the pen and nothing on the other so that it is obvious if they are too hot or too cold.

 

[gander007]

Alright

great to have you joining the BYC flock

Yes remove the heat lamp and if it would make you feel better put a 40 w bulb on them for security .

 

[cloey011]

Chicks will regulate their temp by going under the light or spreading out as far from the light as possible.

If they are all cuddled up then they are not warm enough and if they are all spread out away from under the heat light than they are too hot.

Peeping could mean that they are too cold but it sounds like they are pretty warm in that room.

The real indicator is if they are cuddling or not.

A good idea is to put the heat light on one end of the pen and nothing on the other so that it is obvious if they are too hot or too cold.

I went up there and they're just laying there sleeping, 5 are together and one is on her own on the other side of the pen, what ever that means, maybe she's mad at them

 

[FlyWheel]

If the temperature in the room is 90F then they never did need a heat lamp. In fact you wouldn't be doing them wrong by cooling off the room a bit and giving them their own heat source so they can find their own comfort zone.

Have you heard about the Mama Heating Pad method yet?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC - glad that you have joined us. Its highly likely that your chicks were complaining last night simply because they do not like change - they are creatures of habit. Since they did sleep, and one chick was on its own, its likely that they are now fine. In fact, at this age, they are ready to begin being acclimatised to the outdoors, in preparation for going to the coop.

All the best
CT

 

[drumstick diva]

It would be good though to have some type of thermometer in the brooder when they first go into it. I've gotten hygrometers from Walmart that tell temp. & humidity - they aren't 100% accurate but, they give you a good idea.

 

[N F C]

You've already been given some good advice so I'll just say hello and it's nice to have you here!

 

[cloey011]

Thank you for all the great advise, they did fine through the night. The temps here in ct will climb up to low 70s on Sunday, I'll bring them out for a little while.
So glad to have joined this site, and soooo glad to have added a chicken flock to my small backyard organic farm!!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!