Brooder Temperature Calculator
Chicks hatched on 1 January need 85°F in week 3, starting 15 January. This brooder temperature calculator counts the weeks from your hatch date and gives the temperature for each week — 95°F in week 1, falling 5°F a week to 70°F by week 6 — with the signs that tell you if chicks are too hot or too cold.
Brooder Temperature Calculator
Planning estimate. Figures vary by breed, strain, climate and management — see the sources cited on this page.
Key facts
- Week 1: 95°F (35°C). Then drop 5°F (2.8°C) per week: 90°F week 2, 85°F week 3, 80°F week 4, 75°F week 5, 70°F (21°C) week 6.
- Chicks are fully feathered at about 6 weeks and can then cope with 70°F without extra heat, if the brooder is dry and draught-free.
- Behaviour beats the thermometer. Chicks huddled tight under the lamp are too cold; chicks spread out at the edges, panting, are too hot; chicks spread evenly and peeping quietly are comfortable.
- Measure at chick level, under the lamp and at the far end, so chicks can move towards or away from the heat.
- For watts as well as temperature, use the heat lamp wattage calculator; for brooder size, use the chick brooder size calculator.
What temperature should a brooder be?
95°F (35°C) in the first week, falling 5°F a week to 70°F by week 6. That is the standard schedule in extension brooding guidance. The temperature is measured at chick level under the lamp, and the far end of the brooder should be cooler so chicks can choose. Enter your hatch date above and the calculator gives the exact date each week starts.
Brooder temperature chart for chicks
Week 1: 95°F (35.0°C). Week 2: 90°F (32.2°C). Week 3: 85°F (29.4°C). Week 4: 80°F (26.7°C). Week 5: 75°F (23.9°C). Week 6: 70°F (21.1°C). After week 6, fully feathered chicks can manage without extra heat in a dry, draught-free brooder. In a cold room the lamp may need to stay on longer, at a lower wattage, to hold the schedule.
Too hot or too cold: the behaviour signs
Too cold: chicks pile up under the lamp, peep loudly and continuously, and may smother each other. Lower the lamp or add watts. Too hot: chicks spread to the far edges, pant, hold their wings away from their bodies and drink a lot. Raise the lamp or drop the wattage. Comfortable chicks spread evenly, move around, eat and drink, and peep quietly. Check at least twice a day in the first week.
What this calculator does not do
It does not set your lamp height or wattage — use the heat lamp wattage calculator for that — and it does not account for room temperature, draughts or brooder insulation. A brooder in a cold barn needs more watts to hold the same temperature. It also assumes chicks hatched on the date you enter; if you bought day-old chicks, use their hatch date, not the day you brought them home.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a brooder be?
95°F (35°C) in week 1, falling 5°F a week to 70°F by week 6. Measure at chick level under the lamp, and keep the far end cooler so chicks can move away from the heat. Enter your hatch date above for the exact schedule.
What is the brooder temperature chart for chicks?
Week 1: 95°F. Week 2: 90°F. Week 3: 85°F. Week 4: 80°F. Week 5: 75°F. Week 6: 70°F. That is 35.0, 32.2, 29.4, 26.7, 23.9 and 21.1°C. Chicks are fully feathered at about 6 weeks and can then cope without extra heat.
How do I work out brooder temperature by chick age?
Count the weeks from the hatch date and subtract 5°F per week from 95°F. A chick hatched on 1 January is in week 3 from 15 January and needs 85°F. This calculator counts the weeks for you — enter the hatch date and it lists every week with its start date and temperature.
What temperature should a brooder be for baby chicks?
95°F (35°C) for day-old chicks, falling 5°F a week. Baby chicks cannot keep themselves warm, so the heat lamp stays on day and night for the first few weeks. Watch behaviour as well as the thermometer: huddling means too cold, spreading out and panting means too hot.
How do I use a chick brooder heat calculator?
Enter the hatch date, and the calculator gives a week-by-week temperature schedule from 95°F down to 70°F. Pair it with the heat lamp wattage calculator, which works out the watts needed to hold that temperature in your room.
The Chick Brooder Temperature by Week guide covers this topic in more detail. Two related calculators worth checking next are the Chick Growth Calculator and Chick Feed Calculator by Age.