A comfy flop of Golden Lakenvelders and Blue Andalusians.

---

Related Articles

• 5 myths about backyard chickens
  

• How to raise chickens in your bathtub

• Raising Chickens 101

So, how do we know our chicks are the right temperature as we grow them from fluff to feathers?

The general rule is that we start them at 100 degrees and drop them 5 degrees each week until they are feathered out. But we can't set a hard-and-fast rule for puffy chicks any more than we can for humans, and I sleep under blankets all Summer! Many new chick owners have questions regarding the temps of their brooder and need help identifying signs of the correct environment, so here's help!

One way to determine that the chicks are at the right temp is to give them the option to self-regulate. Some chicks may want warmer temps than others, and if you have different sizes and breeds, you may have differing needs in your brooding flock.

If you put the heat source (ceramic element, heat light, whatever) at ONE END of your brooder, that will allow the chicks who want heat to sit directly under and bask, while those who are more inclined to a cooler clime can wander off to the other end for comfort.

Food and water ought to be in the middle or on the cool end, so that the chicks hanging out in the heat get an opportunity to sense that there is a choice. Sometimes they decide they'd prefer it a little cooler.

If your chicks try to sleep standing up or huddled in a tight pile, they are too cool. Your heat source can be dropped 2 inches at a time to adjust, or you can switch to a higher wattage in your reflector lamp. This is important, because if the temps are too cold, you may end up losing chicks.

If your chicks pant or lie around with lifted wings, avoiding the heat source, they are too warm. Consistently overheated chicks can expire, as well.

If they flop around like rag dolls and lie about napping, they are just right! A brooder of correctly climatized chicks will look as though they passed out cold.

Chicks kept the wrong temp will show another tell-tale sign: pasty bums. If they don't have a clean deposit and some of their poo sticks to their bum, you'll need to gently use a wet cotton swab to carefully remove it. Their umbilical spot is directly below, so be VERY careful not to disturb anything with force. Adjust the temp by observing to see whether they have enough space to get away from the heat or whether they aren't able to cozy up under it enough.