The dull emitter gives the owner some control over lighting patterns, such as a ten or twelve hour day during the growing period. Birds without strong light throughout the night are less nervous, settling easily and quickly once the lights go out. If the rearer is  worried that when the light is turned off chicks are unable to find their way back to the heat source, a small 15-watt red pigmy bulb may be fitted near the ceiling and kept on overnight.

Cover the floor of the brooder house with 7-10cm (3-4inches) of clean white wood shavings. Suspend the brooder heat unit 38 to 46cm (15 to 18 inches above the litter. The reason for the variation in height is that it takes into consideration room temperature and breed of bird. Apart from the obvious distinction between bantams and large fowl, some breeds of large fowl require different temperatures. Give the new chicks a full half hour to settle before making any adjustment to the brooder height. If the chicks are huddling together and standing on tiptoe at the centre of the brooder, they are too cold and the brooder will need to be lowered. However, if they are well spread out in a circle away from the heat source, they are too hot so the brooder will need raising. Ideally, chicks should be evenly spread under the heat with a little clear area at the centre about the size of a cup's diameter.

Minimum room temperature for the first week should be between 18 and 24 degrees Celsius and thereafter reduced to approximately 15.5 degrees Celsius by the fourth week.

*N.B: The heat of the brooder should not be relied on to warm the brooder room. Far too many chicks are lost through dehydration due to cold room temperatures. They find it too cold to feed or drink properly and give up. Switch on the room and brooder heat the day before the chicks are due to arrive so that the wood  shavings are warm and dry. Place Chick Drinkers and Chick Feeders around the perimeter of the brooder the previous evening so that the water has had the chill taken off. Those people brooding chicks artificially for the first time may wish to place a thermometer on the litter under the centre of the heat element, which should read in the region of 35 degrees Celsius. This temperature is a guide only when setting up and, once the chicks have been gently placed under the brooder,  it should be taken away and the brooder height adjusted according to how the chicks are spread beneath.

A further Maximum/Minimum Thermometer should be hung on the wall, not too high; and be read and recorded twice a day, a.m. and p.m. The most important time to check the height of the brooder is after the   chicks have settled for the night when it is easier to observe any alterations that are necessary.

To start with, place Chick Drinkers around the the brooder, putting the Chick Feeders slightly further away. Chicks must be able to find the water quickly, the feed they will find as they venture past the Chick Drinkers. Do not expect them to eat much for the first three days but from the fourth day on, their appetite will start to increase quite rapidly.

A Guide to Water Requirements (per 100 chicks)

The First Week: 4.5 litres (1 gallon) water daily.
Up to 6 weeks: 7 to 9 litres (1 1/2 to 2 gallons) daily.
                                                        Up to 10 weeks: 13.64 (3 gallons) daily.                                                           And thereafter: 18 litres (4 gallons) daily.

Feeding

During the first 5 days it is good practice to allow a certain amount of wastage to make sure all chicks are able to eat their full capacity. As they become stronger, then any wastage should be avoided. Clean out all waste food from the brooder area especially if it has become damp.

If you were to take the trouble to sit on a chair in the brooder house after the lights have gone out and observe the chicks, it would be seen that those on the outer edge of the brooder as they cool down, move into the centre by running over the backs of the others, and those who have become too hot move out.  This movement will continue throughout the night. It is therefore vital that there is sufficient room for the chicks to get away from the heat to allow natural feather growth.

Provided young birds are kept in a warm-ventilated room, it should be possible to turn off the brooder when they are about five to six weeks of age. Allow a further two weeks cooling period before moving them to an outside unit on range. If they have to be moved at an earlier age, it is advisable to have an alternative heat source handy should the weather become cold and wet.

At eight weeks, growers should be changed from Chick Starter Crumbs to a growers Mash or Pellets.       It is advisable to change the diet before putting the birds out so that stress is kept to a minimum.

Click here for Brooders, Lamps and Accessories