Slightly odd chick distribution with 2 lights

[LaurelC]

28 Chicks arrived this afternoon (shipped yesterday afternoon, all happy and healthy). Their distribution in the brooder area is a little odd and I wanted to get someone's take on it. I have 2x 250 watt heat lamps. It's a lot, but they're in an unheated metal pole building that can get cool at night. I have them in this smaller area just while they get settled in (we have another 20 coming probably tomorrow) and then I intend to give them access to the entire trailer area. They seem to be congregating between the 2 lamps, but not in the hot part of either. There's a cooler area towards the back of the brooder that nobody seems to be hanging out in. All are active and eating and drinking happily, not a whole lot of peeping. Should I lift one of the lights to give them a larger cool area? I don't want to cook anyone, but I want to be sure they're able to stay cozy at night.

 

[Huntmaster]

I have 2x 250 watt heat lamps. It's a lot, but they're in an unheated metal pole building that can get cool at night.

That is a lot of heat in that small of an area. When you say cool at night what temp might that be? Have you checked temps under lights and coolest area?

 

[LaurelC]

That is a lot of heat in that small of an area. When you say cool at night what temp might that be? Have you checked temps under lights and coolest area?

Yes, I have! I have some wireless thermometers I kept in the brooder area to monitor temps and adjust lights about a week and a half ahead of time to ensure I could keep the temps in safe zones. My overnight lows under the hottest part tended to hover between 94 and 97(highs got up to 125 directly under the light), and my temps along the edges sat between 65 and 43

I did some rearranging of food and water so there was more open space in the middle of the brooder and they seemed to spread out a bit more.

I've kept chicks before, but used a momma heating pad inside my house with much fewer chicks and that really took the guesswork out of things.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What happens if you only have one lamp on, temperature wise? The redistribution of chicks in the second set of photos is much better, they were too clumped up in the center before.

 

[LaurelC]

With one lamp it had to be so low that I didn't feel super comfortable with the height so I immediately nixed the idea. Adding the second light allowed for a backup in case for whatever reason the first died. One lamp is lower, the other is higher and broadcasts the heat over a larger area.

Checking the camera now, they seem pretty happy to be running around and scattered through the brooder. I probably should have given them a few hours to settle in before panic posting.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Using the heat lamps with the cardboard is a little sketchy. But they really need a hot side and a cool side. Do you still have the brooder plate? Maybe use the Premier heat lamp with the brooder plate?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Using the heat lamps with the cardboard is a little sketchy. But they really need a hot side and a cool side. Do you still have the brooder plate? Maybe use the Premier heat lamp with the brooder plate?

Yeah heat lamps make me nervous too but assuming OP has just 1 plate the concern would be the sheer number of chicks possibly trying to stuff themselves under it. I think for the first few days this set up should be ok as long as temperatures and chick behavior are being monitored.

 

[LaurelC]

Yeah heat lamps make me nervous too but assuming OP has just 1 plate the concern would be the sheer number of chicks possibly trying to stuff themselves under it. I think for the first few days this set up should be ok as long as temperatures and chick behavior are being monitored.

This. I don't even have a brooder plate, just the lamps and I have a single heating pad that I could fashion into a cave, but it's not enough for all the chicks. I too am quite nervous about heat lamps and would have liked to go with heat plates/mama caves, but as recommended by BYC, using lamps with the numbers I have is probably the best solution. Once they get a little older, i'm hoping to eliminate the cheaper lamp and just stick with the Premier One lamp, it feels way less sketchy than the tractor supply special.

The lamps are chained up so they can't shift, and as noted, the hottest temp the area has seen is about 125 which is nowhere near fire territory. I'd like to keep everyone confined in this small area just so I can make sure they're all staying healthy for a few days, then they'll get access to the entire trailer, which will give them a lot of space to get away from the warmth when they want to.

 

[NatJ]

I would make the space larger. One or two more feet along one side would make a big difference in letting the chicks get away from the heat.

If you can't do that, I would probably put both heat lamps near each other at one end of the space, which lets the other end be cooler.