ashenapple
In the Brooder
First, I apologize if this question is asked a lot. I've searched the forums for awhile now and couldn't find my exact question/situation but I easily could have missed it. So, my family and I are not new to chickens but are extremely new to raising them from chicks. We just got 6 chicks and they seem to be doing really well. They've all figured out where food and water is, we gave them an extra water with electrolytes and they've drank from that as well. The temperature on one side with the heat lamp is 99F degrees and the ambient temp in the room itself it about 70-75F. The food and water is on the non-lamp side of the brooder and I used paper towels on that end until they get a bit more settled.
My question is that I have read so often that huddling together means they are too cold. These babies LOVE to huddle together when they sleep - especially the one that's supposed to be a cockerel, he has to be in the middle of the girls. But they do get up and explore, eat, drink water, etc after every little power nap. They look healthy as well, as far as I can tell.
Full disclosure, I'm autistic, so I'm just not sure if I'm taking the "huddling=cold" thing too literally or if I'm missing some context and was hoping someone here might be able to help me out!
Attached is a picture of what I'm talking about and our setup. This is right at 9:20pm and the main light in that room had been off for an hour, heat lamp still on of course.
My question is that I have read so often that huddling together means they are too cold. These babies LOVE to huddle together when they sleep - especially the one that's supposed to be a cockerel, he has to be in the middle of the girls. But they do get up and explore, eat, drink water, etc after every little power nap. They look healthy as well, as far as I can tell.
Full disclosure, I'm autistic, so I'm just not sure if I'm taking the "huddling=cold" thing too literally or if I'm missing some context and was hoping someone here might be able to help me out!
Attached is a picture of what I'm talking about and our setup. This is right at 9:20pm and the main light in that room had been off for an hour, heat lamp still on of course.
