Chick Brooding Temperature & Body Temperature

One of the most crucial factors in a chick's early days is body temperature. Covered in barely a smattering of down when they hatch, chicks are not able to regulate their body temperatures until their feathers grow in weeks later. Chick body temperature and brooding temperature refer to two different things, and knowing how to maintain both at optimum levels ensures your chicks' best chance at survival.

  1. Body Temperature

    • A newly hatched chick will have a body temperature of 103.5 degrees Fahrenheit, which is several degrees lower than an adult chicken's. Chicks will be unable to regulate their own body temperature for the first few weeks; in the interim their mother huddles over them to give warmth, in nature. Supplemental heat in the form of a temperature-regulated brooder, common nowadays, is crucial to the survival of chickens in the first weeks of life.

    Chick Heat Reqirements

    • A brooder's temperature does not have to be as high as chicks' ideal body temperature to get them to maintain it. A setting of 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit in a draft-free brooder is ideal for the first week of a chick's life. Decrease the temperature 5 degrees each week over the course of four to five weeks until you reach 70 degrees, when they should no longer need supplemental heat. Your chick's environment should be roomy enough for them to move away from the heat source to cooler areas as desired.

    Heat Sources

    • Infrared heat bulbs are readily available from feed stores and hatcheries, most commonly seen in 250-watt varieties, sufficient for 50 to 100 chicks. Bulbs as low as 100 watts will work if you have a particularly small brooder for just a few chicks. Reptile heat lamps are suitable, provided they are sufficient wattage to support a 98 degree temperature. Don't use incandescent bulbs or other white light-producing heat sources, as they can damage chicks' eyes.

    Precautions

    • Anchor your brooder lamp above chicks to a solid object so it can provide a constant temperature without getting knocked over and starting a fire. The element should be far enough away from chicks that they cannot contact it and burn themselves. Position the heat source toward one end of your brooder. All chicks of the chicks at once should be able to fit in the area heated by the brooder, with additional area away from the heat source to move when they wish to cool down.

    Preparation

    • A few days before your chicks arrive, set up the brooder with lamp, bedding, water and food trays to measure temperatures and fine-tune adjustments. Eliminate drafts, as chicks can succumb quickly. Preheat the brooder for several hours before your chicks' arrival, so the environment is evenly heated. Place food and water in the food trays ahead of time, so they are at the same temperature as the brooder, reducing the risk of temperature shock to your new chicks.