Coop & flock
What temperature does a brooder need?
Ninety-five degrees in week one, dropping five degrees a week until you reach ambient, and half a square foot per chick to start.
How this works
95 °F under the lamp in week one, five degrees less each week until feathered around week six. Read the chicks: huddled under the lamp = cold, pressed to the edges = hot, spread out = right.
Questions people ask
How do I know if chicks are too hot or too cold?
Watch where they sit. Piled under the heat means cold, pressed to the walls means hot, scattered and busy means right. The chicks are a better gauge than the thermometer.
When can chicks go outside?
Fully feathered, around six weeks, once the brooder has stepped down to outdoor temperature. Move them earlier only if night lows are already mild.
Is a heat plate better than a lamp?
Safer, certainly - heat lamps are a common cause of coop fires. Plates also mimic a hen, letting chicks warm up and leave rather than living under constant light.