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I keep asking the same question. My brooder is 85 degrees and only has two height settings. I had it at the top one from the beginning, because my (3 day old) Easter Egger was much taller than the other chicks. They always slept under it when they were inside, (AC on for us - no AC vent in the room they were brooding in). But they wouldn't stay inside after week 1, they started flying around and trying to get out of the spare bathroom. I put them outside in the coop during the day (90 degree weather) and brought them in at night a few days. (it's 50-65 at night here in the SoCal "Inland Empire", close to the desert, but not desert). They never want to go upstairs (into the enclosed coop, with the brooder inside), they start huddling together in the pet crate at bedtime and I have to catch them and put them inside. I do this for two reasons. 1. I don't think it's good for predators or any nocturnal creatures to be able to see them at night. 2. I don't think they know that it's going to get a lot colder late at night. They are only 3 weeks old, and none of them have any feathers on their heads or bellies, which seems to be one sign they are ready to move out of the brooder. They usually are sleeping under it when I open the door in the morning. And they immediately quiet when I put them in it at night. They can get away from it if they want. They make a huge mess with the water and food at night, and poop more (on top of the brooder, especially, which is gross!) than they do all day long. I was told not to take away the food and water at night until they are out of the brooder.


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