Chook Me!

How do I know if I need a lamp for my baby chicks because my country is really hot!?

I live in a very hot country and it is summer at the moment. It is really hot and humid and I don't really think I need a lamp for my baby chicks when they arrive. I am going to put them in a cardboard in my room and my room is even hotter because I have my computer running all day, a TV, playstation, laptop which are normally on all the time. Would I need a lamp? Thanks.

Public Comments

1. you should look up the temp. that these birds need to stay. if it's like 100 degrees and your room is 85 degrees then yes.
2. i want a chick can i have one!
3. Well the first day you get them have it be around 100 degrees, then you can lower the degrees by 5 each week. I'm going to get some chicks to! Have fun with them! But I don't think you'll need to get a lamp.
4. You should always have a lamp just above their heads in a big area so they can go under the lamp or get away from it. Chicks will be peeping if they are cold, hot or hungry. Happy chicks will be sleeping quietly.
5. Even if it is hot during the day, it is often necessary to run a heat lamp at night when the temperature starts to drop. A brood pen needs to be kept at about 98 degrees during the first week of a chick's life, dropping by about 2 degrees each week after, until the pen temp is equal to the outside temp, or until the birds have grown their secondary feathers. New chicks are very succeptible to drafts, chilling and temperature fluctuations. Their pen needs to be kept at a constant temperature or you risk killing them. If it's 80 degrees outside, they may still need a heat lamp placed at a safe distance to give additional heat. If the chicks were with their mother hen, they would still spend a considerable amount of time underneath her to keep warm. Young chicks can't regulate their own body temperature well until their adult feathers have started to come in. The easiest way to monitor your brood pen temp is to place a reptile thermometer at the bottom of the pen. Check the temp regularly during the day - sunlight coming in through a window may be enough to alter the temp and possibly overheat your chicks. You might need to shut the lamp off for part of the day, then turn it back on as the sun changes position, or even run it all night. I'd recommend getting a 250 watt red brood lamp and a reptile thermometer before your chicks arrive. Remember that your chicks need a CONSTANT temperature, and the only way to guarantee that is by using an outside heat source. Good luck and enjoy your peeps!