By Drs. Julie Ashley and Blayne Mozisek
Starting baby poultry off right means keeping them at the right temperature. Too cold and they risk illness. Too hot and they become stressed and weak. Getting it right means healthier, stronger birds.
● Days 1–7: Start chicks, ducklings and goslings at 90–95°F at the warm end.
● Heat source zone: Directly under a lamp, floor temps may hit 110–120°F (no chicks should stay directly here).
● Comfort zone: Outward from this central hot spot, floor temps should drop to the mid-90s. This creates the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) - where the chicks do not have to expend extra energy to stay warm or cool, where all energy can go toward growth and health.
● Gradient: The rest of the brooder should cool gradually the further you measure from the heat source, letting chicks self-select comfort.
● Pro tip: Turn on supplemental heat 24 hours before chicks arrive so bedding and floor are pre-warmed. Cold floors drain body heat fast.
● Weekly reduction: Lower brooder temperature by 5°F each week until chicks are fully feathered by ~4–6 weeks of age, when the TNZ is ~70–75°F (21–24°C), similar to adult chickens.
● Turkey poults: Need ~5°F warmer than other poultry babies at every stage.
Quick test: After chicks have settled for a couple of hours, touch their feet gently to your cheek. Cold feet = too cold in the brooder.
● Huddled tightly under heat = too cold.
● Scattered far away = too hot.
● Spread evenly and/or concentrically around the heat source (e.g. heat lamp), active and content = just right.
Always place a thermometer at chick height on the bedding at the heat source and adjust lamp height or plate settings as needed.
● Secure heat lamps with chains or clamps — never just the cord.
● Use shatterproof bulbs or switch to safer heat plates/radiant panels.
● Prevent overcrowding directly under the heat source to reduce piling and smothering. If this is happening, you need additional sources of heat for the number of chicks you’re brooding.
By providing a safe gradient, monitoring chick behavior, and reducing heat gradually, you’ll help your chicks grow into strong, resilient birds.
Your turn: What heat setup do you find works best in your brooder—lamps, plates, or panels? Share your experience below
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