Heat Lamps

Until chicks grow their adult feathers, they are going to need something to keep them warm. There is a lot of information on the exact temp your brooder should be but, we are big on listening to our chicken’s behavior and adjusting from there. If you make your brooder large enough so that the heat lamp doesn’t cover the whole area, this allows the chicks to move closer when they are cold and further away when they are warm. It may look cute when the chicks are huddled directly under the heat lamp and sleeping together but, this means they aren’t warm enough. Happy chicks usually sleep on the outer ring of the heat lamp. If they are sleeping directly under it, move it a little closer. Tip: If you’re worried about fire safety, they make radiant heaters now! We personally use a 250 watt bulb attached to a dimmer switch so as the chicks get older we can slowly turn the heat down.