Brooder Temperature Chart
The chart says one number. The chicks, the thermometer position and the season each get a vote anyway. Enter your hatch date and this tool finds your week in the chart, then adds the two things a printed chart can't do: the measurement place that makes the number mean anything, and the exit conditions that tell you when the heat is done. The full reasoning lives in our week-by-week brooder guide.
| Target under the heat source | |
|---|---|
| Where to measure | |
| Lamp height this week | |
| Plate check this week | |
| Heat-off outlook | |
| Season note |
The whole six weeks
| Age | Target under the heat source |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 90–95°F (32–35°C) |
| Week 2 | about 85–90°F (29–32°C) |
| Week 3 | about 80–85°F (27–29°C) |
| Week 4 | about 75–80°F (24–27°C) |
| Week 5 | about 70–75°F (21–24°C) |
| Week 6 | about 65–70°F (18–21°C) |
The numbers behind the chart
- The starting band is 90–95°F, measured at chick level directly under the heat source. The eXtension brooding article gives 90–95°F as the week-one band; Penn State's brooding guide says to supply 95°F the first week — the top of that band. Readings at either extreme are normal.
- The drop is about 5°F a week, on the bird's schedule. Down gives way to feathers over the same six weeks, which is why every row after the first says about. A chick's behavior outranks the thermometer: spread across the warm zone means right, a pile means act tonight.
- The exit has two conditions. Penn State's endpoint: drop 5°F weekly "until the normal daily temperature is reached (62–65 degrees F)." eXtension's condition: the birds are well feathered — pulling heat before that invites respiratory problems. This tool counts the weeks; the feathers and the room temperature make the final call.
- Fall and winter broods run six weeks, minimum. eXtension is explicit: keep heat on for the first six weeks even for fully feathered birds. It also keeps the waterer from freezing.
- Summer bends the other way. Keep brooding temperatures below 95°F in hot weather and watch for panting — heat stress kills faster than chill.
- Lamp heights follow Penn State's positioning rule: start no lower than 18 inches above the bedding, raise about 2 inches a week, maximum about 24. Keep lamps at least 20 inches from anything flammable, on chain, in porcelain sockets.
- Plate heat works by contact, not air. The right height lets chicks press up under the edge and step out freely. The dial number describes the plate surface, not the bird.
Sources: eXtension — Brooding Poultry Hatchlings Penn State Extension — Brooding of Domestic Fowl (starting band, weekly drop, 62–65°F endpoint, six-week winter floor, lamp positioning).