Chick Brooder Temperature by Week
By John Walker · Backyard chicken keeper in Dallas, Texas since 2017
Chick brooder temperature by week starts at 95°F (35°C) in week one and drops by 5°F each week until it reaches 70°F (21°C) at week six. Chicks need that warmth because they cannot regulate their own body temperature for the first few weeks.
Chick brooder temperature by week: the chart
The brooder temperature schedule is the same in every extension publication: 95°F in week one, falling by 5°F a week until the chicks are fully feathered and the brooder is at room temperature. The chart below gives the temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius for each week, along with the brooder space per chick and the heat lamp wattage.
So you can plan the whole brooder from one table.
| Week | Temperature (°F) | Temperature (°C) | Space per chick | Heat lamp (per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 95°F | 35°C | 0.5 sq ft | About 10 W |
| Week 2 | 90°F | 32°C | 0.5 sq ft | About 10 W |
| Week 3 | 85°F | 29°C | 1 sq ft | About 10 W |
| Week 4 | 80°F | 27°C | 1 sq ft | About 10 W |
| Week 5 | 75°F | 24°C | 2 sq ft | About 10 W |
| Week 6 | 70°F | 21°C | 2 sq ft | Off if fully feathered |
Measure the temperature at chick height, on the floor directly under the heat lamp, not at the top of the brooder or at the cool end. The brooder should have a warm end and a cool end, so the chicks can move to the temperature they want — a brooder that is the same temperature everywhere gives them no choice, and chicks that cannot escape the heat will overheat. The brooder temperature calculator works out the temperature for any hatch date, week by week.
Why chicks need 95°F in week one
Day-old chicks cannot regulate their own body temperature. A hen would keep them warm under her wings, and in a brooder the heat lamp does that job. At 95°F the chicks can rest, eat and grow without spending energy on staying warm.
Below that temperature they huddle, stop eating and grow slowly, and if they get cold enough they die. The first week is the most dangerous, because the chicks are smallest, have only down for insulation, and have no reserves.
The 5°F a week drop matches how the chicks feather out. By week three they have real feathers starting to replace the down, by week five they are mostly feathered, and by week six they are fully feathered and can hold their own temperature at 70°F. Dropping the temperature on schedule hardens them off gradually, so the move to the coop is not a shock. Dropping it too fast chills them; dropping it too slowly leaves them soft and slow to feather.
Ambient temperature matters as much as the lamp. In a warm house the lamp does less work, and in a cold garage or barn it does more — the rule is about 10 watts of heat per square foot of brooder at 70°F ambient, plus 20 percent more for every 10°F the room is below 70°F. The heat lamp wattage calculator works out the wattage for your brooder size and room temperature, and the brooder size and heat planner covers space, temperature, wattage and feed in one place.
How to set up the brooder and the heat lamp
Set the brooder up at least a day before the chicks arrive, and run the heat lamp until the temperature is stable at 95°F at chick height under the lamp. A large cardboard box, a plastic tub or a purpose-built brooder all work, provided the sides are high enough to keep the chicks in and draught-free.
The floor is covered with paper towels for the first few days — never newspaper, which is slippery and can cause spraddled legs — then with pine shavings once the chicks know what feed looks like.
Hang the heat lamp securely, with a chain or a clamp that cannot slip, and never rest it on the edge of the brooder or on bedding. Heat lamps are the most common cause of brooder fires, and a lamp that falls onto shavings can start a fire in minutes. Use a lamp with a ceramic socket and a guard, keep it clear of bedding and walls, and check the fixing every day. A heat plate — a flat, warm panel the chicks shelter under — is a safer alternative that uses less electricity and mimics a hen more closely.
Place the feeder and waterer at the cool end of the brooder, so the chicks have to move away from the heat to eat and drink, and so the water stays cool and clean. Use a shallow waterer with marbles or pebbles in it for the first week, so a chick that falls in cannot drown. Check the water twice a day, because chicks foul it quickly, and a chick without water stops eating within hours.
Reading the chicks: too hot, too cold, just right
The chicks themselves are the best thermometer, and they will tell you if the temperature is wrong before a thermometer does. Chicks that are comfortable spread out evenly across the brooder, eat, drink, peep quietly and sleep in loose groups.
Chicks that are too cold huddle in a tight pile directly under the lamp, peep loudly and constantly, and stop eating — a pile of chicks can smother the ones at the bottom, so a tight huddle is an emergency, not a cute sight.
Chicks that are too hot move as far from the lamp as they can, pant with their beaks open, hold their wings away from their bodies, and lie flat and still. Overheating is as dangerous as chilling, and it happens fast in a small brooder on a warm day. If the chicks are spread to the edges and panting, raise the lamp a few inches or switch to a lower-wattage bulb, and check that the cool end is genuinely cool — a brooder in direct sun or in a hot room may have no cool end at all.
Adjust the temperature by raising or lowering the lamp, not by guessing. Raise the lamp to cool the brooder, lower it to warm it, and wait an hour before you adjust again — the temperature takes time to settle. Keep a thermometer in the brooder at chick height at all times, and check it morning and evening. The brooder temperature calculator gives the target temperature for each week, and the Poultry Extension site has practical brooding guidance from university extension specialists.
Brooder space: how much room per chick
Chicks grow fast, and the brooder that fits ten day-old chicks will be crowded by week five. The planning figures are 0.5 sq ft per chick in weeks one and two, 1 sq ft in weeks three and four, and 2 sq ft in weeks five and six.
Ten chicks need 5 sq ft in week two — a brooder about 2 by 2.5 ft — and 20 sq ft by week six, which is a brooder about 4 by 5 ft. Plan for week six from the start, or be ready to move the chicks to a bigger brooder at week three.
Crowding causes the same problems in a brooder as in a coop: feather pecking, bullying, dirty bedding and disease. If the chicks are pecking each other, trampling the feeder or piling in corners, they need more space, not more heat. Give them a perch to hop onto from week two — a low stick or a small branch — and something to peck at, such as a hanging cabbage leaf, to keep them occupied. Bored, crowded chicks peck each other; busy chicks with room do not.
Keep the brooder dry and clean. Change wet bedding daily, top up dry bedding as needed, and do a full clean-out at least once a week. Damp bedding breeds coccidiosis, the most common chick disease, and ammonia from dirty bedding damages young lungs. A brooder that smells when you open it needs cleaning, and a brooder that is clean and dry is the single best protection against chick disease.
When can chicks leave the brooder?
Chicks can move to the coop at about six weeks, provided they are fully feathered and the temperature is at 70°F or above. Fully feathered means no down left on the back, wings and breast, just smooth feathers all over.
If the weather is cold or wet, wait a week longer, or move them to the coop with a heat lamp for the first few nights. The move is less stressful if the chicks have already spent time outside in a secure pen on warm days, getting used to sun, wind and the sounds of the garden.
Do not move chicks to the coop with adult birds. Adult hens will bully or kill young chicks, and the chicks need their own space, their own feeder and their own waterer until they are close to adult size — usually 16 to 18 weeks. If you have only one coop, partition it so the youngsters can see the adults but cannot be reached, and let them mix gradually over a week or two.
After the move, keep watching the temperature for a few nights. A sudden cold snap can chill six-week-old chicks that were fine the day before, especially if they are not yet fully feathered or if the coop is draughty. A heat lamp in the coop for the first week after the move is cheap insurance, and the coop size calculator will confirm that the coop is big enough for the growing birds. For the feed side of the move, see the feed by age guide.
For more on the same topic, see How Much Water Do Chickens Drink in Summer? and How to Get Chickens to Lay in Nest Boxes.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a brooder be for baby chicks?
A brooder should be 95°F (35°C) in week one, dropping by 5°F each week to 70°F (21°C) at week six. Measure the temperature at chick height, directly under the heat lamp.
How do I know if my chicks are too cold?
Chicks that are too cold huddle in a tight pile directly under the lamp, peep loudly and constantly, and stop eating. Lower the lamp a few inches and check the temperature — a tight huddle can smother the chicks at the bottom.
How do I know if my chicks are too hot?
Chicks that are too hot move as far from the lamp as they can, pant with their beaks open, hold their wings away from their bodies and lie flat. Raise the lamp or switch to a lower-wattage bulb.
How much space do chicks need in a brooder?
Chicks need 0.5 sq ft each in weeks one and two, 1 sq ft in weeks three and four, and 2 sq ft in weeks five and six. Ten chicks need 5 sq ft in week two and 20 sq ft by week six.
When can chicks go outside without a heat lamp?
Chicks can leave the brooder at about six weeks, when they are fully feathered and the temperature is 70°F or above. If the weather is cold or wet, wait a week longer or provide a heat lamp in the coop for the first few nights.
What temperature should a brooder be in week 7?
By week 7 most fully feathered chicks need no extra heat in a mild climate, and the brooder can sit at room temperature of 65 to 70°F. Turn the heat off during the day first, and only leave it off overnight once the chicks stay spread out and comfortable.
Do chicks need heat at night?
Chicks need heat at night for the first five to six weeks, because nights are the coldest part of the day and a chilled chick stops eating. Check the brooder at the coldest part of the night, and only wean them off night heat once they are fully feathered and the nights are mild.
Where should the brooder thermometer go?
Put the thermometer at chick height in the warm zone, about 2 to 3 inches above the bedding, directly under or beside the heat source. A reading near the ceiling or at the cool end does not tell you what the chicks feel.
About the author
John Walker is the founder of PeckCalc and has kept backyard chickens in Dallas, Texas since 2017. He started PeckCalc to give backyard keepers free calculators and guides with every figure traced to a university extension source.