YES! they are here

[JULIE L CORWIN]

Got 16 baby chicks on July 24th. Put them in my brooder. Its 3 feet wide. 2 feet deep and 8 ft. long.
I'm so excited and worried at the same time. Having trouble regulating the heat for them. Using 2 heat lamps with 250 watt heat bulbs in each. Lat night was only 57 degrees here last night in Ohio. Have the brooder in the gragage . Have plenty of pine chips in the bottom of it. But could only get the temp up to 89 degrees. Covered the top with plastic tub lids last evening. I know my thermoter works as had a fluctiating temp yesdarday. Trying to hit 95 degrees for them. Got it to warm once at 97 degrees. So had to do something to get it down.. They all lived through the night.
Put particle board on the top this morning and it's 93 degrees. Used particle board the 24th and it got to 97 degrees one time. Now there is particle board on top again but moved it back on the sides of the top for some heat to escape. Go out every half hour to check on the temp. IT was 91 degrees. I know it's suppose to be 95 the first week of life. What else could I use to cover the top of the brooder to regulate the heat?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Forget the thermometer..... its causing you needless stress. Guage you chicks' behavior.... you want chicks actively scattered about the brooder, not concentrated in any one area (under the heat means too cold, away from the heat means too hot). Also, remember you aren't heating the whole brooder, you are providing one area that is warm for the chicks to go to when they cool down. Using two lamps on this relatively small space is overkill. Put one light, at one end ou'd the brooder..... this allows the chicks to self regulate

 

[Pork Pie]

Forget the thermometer..... its causing you needless stress. Guage you chicks' behavior.... you want chicks actively scattered about the brooder, not concentrated in any one area (under the heat means too cold, away from the heat means too hot). Also, remember you aren't heating the whole brooder, you are providing one area that is warm for the chicks to go to when they cool down. Using two lamps on this relatively small space is overkill. Put one light, at one end ou'd the brooder..... this allows the chicks to self regulate

Excellent advice

 

[JULIE L CORWIN]

Thank you for your advice. I have had 4 batches of chickens over the years. Tried to go by the book. This is the latest time in the year that I have got my chickens. So am following your advice. I have noticed that around 91 degrees they become a little sluuish and sleep a lot more. Well we had a power outage for one and a half hours. When the power went out. I waited about a half an hour. To see if the power came back on. It usually dose. Went out and checked the chickens. It was 83 degrees in the coop.All chickens were up all over the brooder. Still alive. I covered the brooder to keep what warmth was still there.When the power came back on. Temp was still at 83. All were still alive. So cut back to one heat lamp. So leting them self regulate there tempatures in there bodies and not stressing out. I figure if they were all alive at 83 degrees. Not to stress out any more. Just make sure it doesn't get to warm for them.Which with just one heat lamp they won't. I am eternally great full for your advice. So I'm still learning after all these years.