Brooder Temperature Chart: Week-by-Week for Chicks
A brooder temperature chart for baby chicks: 95F in week 1, dropping about 5F each week to room temperature by week 6, plus how to read chick behavior and stay safe.
Quick answer: Start the brooder warm zone at about 95 degrees Fahrenheit in week 1, then lower it roughly 5 degrees each week until you reach about 70 degrees or room temperature by week 6, when most chicks are fully feathered and ready to come off heat. Always give chicks a warm zone and a cooler area so they can self-regulate, and let their behavior be your real guide: piling means too cold, scattering to the edges means too hot, spreading evenly means just right.
Use the week-by-week chart below to set your heat lamp height or heat plate level.
Getting brooder temperature right is the single most important factor in raising healthy chicks through their first weeks. Too cold and chicks pile up and can chill or smother; too hot and they become stressed and dehydrated. The reliable approach is to start warm and step the temperature down gradually as the chicks feather out and grow better at holding their own body heat. The chart below shows the standard week-by-week targets along with the feathering and behavior cues to watch.
Brooder Temperature Chart (Week by Week)
| Chick Age | Warm Zone Temperature | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (days 1-7) | 95°F (35°C) | Newly hatched; needs the most warmth and constant heat |
| Week 2 | 90°F (32°C) | First feathers begin to appear on wings |
| Week 3 | 85°F (29°C) | Growing fast; more active and exploring |
| Week 4 | 80°F (27°C) | Feathering well; spends more time away from heat |
| Week 5 | 75°F (24°C) | Mostly feathered; needs less supplemental heat |
| Week 6 | 70°F (21°C) or room temp | Fully feathered; ready to wean off heat |
| Week 7+ | Ambient / no added heat | Can move to a coop once hardened off and weather is mild |
If you use a heat lamp, raise it a little each week to drop the floor-level temperature by about 5 degrees, measuring with a thermometer placed at chick height in the warm zone. If you use a brooder heat plate, you set the plate height rather than an air temperature: start it low enough that day-old chicks just fit under it, and raise it as they grow. Either way, the chicks' behavior is the best thermostat, so adjust whenever they tell you they are too warm or too cold.
Reading Your Chicks' Behavior
- Too cold: Chicks pile and huddle directly under the heat, peeping loudly. Lower the lamp or plate.
- Too hot: Chicks scatter to the far edges, pant, or hold wings out. Raise the heat source.
- Just right: Chicks spread evenly, eating, drinking, and exploring contentedly.
- Drafts: If chicks cluster on one side away from a cold draft, block the draft and recheck.
- Overnight: Check that the warm zone holds its temperature after the room cools at night.
Brooder Safety
Heat lamps are a leading cause of coop and barn fires because the bulb runs extremely hot and can ignite bedding if it falls. Secure any lamp with more than one method, keep it well away from flammable material, and consider a brooder heat plate instead, which runs cool, uses far less power, and removes most of the fire risk. Always provide fresh water and chick starter, keep the brooder clean and dry, and watch for pasty butt and chilled chicks in the first days.
Brooding temperature is a guideline, and chicks vary, so let feathering and behavior fine-tune these numbers. For sick chicks, high losses, or anything that concerns you, consult a poultry veterinarian or your local agricultural extension office. This chart is educational and complements that hands-on care.
Backyard Chicken Keepers Planner
Track your chicken's health, meds, vet visits, mobility, nutrition, and quality of life, all in one printable planner.
Related Reference Charts
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature do baby chicks need?
Newly hatched chicks need a brooder warm zone of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the first week. Each week after, lower the temperature by roughly 5 degrees until you reach about 70 degrees or the surrounding room temperature, usually by five to six weeks of age. The warm zone does not need to fill the whole brooder; chicks should be able to move between warmth and a cooler area so they can self-regulate. Always provide a temperature gradient rather than heating the entire space to one level.
How do I know if chicks are too hot or too cold?
Watch their behavior, which is more reliable than any thermometer. Chicks that pile up and huddle directly under the heat source, peeping loudly, are too cold. Chicks that scatter to the far edges, pant, or hold their wings out are too hot. Chicks spread evenly around the brooder, eating, drinking, and exploring, are at a comfortable temperature. Adjust the heat lamp height or heat plate level based on what the chicks tell you, and check on them frequently in the first days.
How long do chicks need a heat source?
Most chicks need supplemental heat for about five to six weeks, until they are fully feathered and the brooder or coop temperature stays comfortable, generally when nights are above the mid-60s Fahrenheit. Reduce the temperature about 5 degrees each week so the transition is gradual. Feathering, not just the calendar, is the real signal: a well-feathered chick can hold its own body heat. In a warm room or warmer climate, chicks may come off heat a little sooner; in cold conditions, they may need it slightly longer.
Is a heat plate or heat lamp better for chicks?
Brooder heat plates are generally safer and increasingly preferred over heat lamps. A heat plate warms chicks directly the way a mother hen would, uses far less electricity, and has no hot bulb to ignite bedding, which makes heat lamps a leading cause of coop fires. Heat plates also let chicks rest in natural darkness at night. With a heat plate you set the plate height so chicks just fit under it rather than chasing an air temperature. Heat lamps still work but require careful, secure mounting and constant fire awareness.
Where should I put the thermometer in a brooder?
Place the thermometer at chick height, on the floor of the brooder directly in the warm zone, not up near a heat lamp or on the cool side. This tells you the temperature the chicks actually experience. With a heat lamp, measure right under the bulb at floor level and raise or lower the lamp to hit the target for that week. With a heat plate, the plate height matters more than air temperature, so use the chicks' behavior as your main guide and the thermometer as a backup reference.
Can chicks get too cold overnight?
Yes, and overnight is when chilling most often happens, since rooms cool down and a heat lamp or plate must keep up. Chilled chicks pile and may smother one another, so reliable heat overnight is essential in the early weeks. Use a steady, well-secured heat source, keep the brooder out of drafts, and check that the warm zone holds its temperature after dark. A heat plate set at the right height handles nights well because chicks tuck under it just as they would under a hen.
When can chicks move outside to the coop?
Chicks can move to the coop once they are fully feathered and weaned off supplemental heat, usually around six weeks, and when outdoor temperatures are mild enough, generally nights above the mid-60s Fahrenheit for unheated coops. Harden them off over a few days, letting them experience cooler temperatures gradually before the move. If you integrate them with an existing flock, do it slowly with see-but-not-touch separation first. In cold weather, wait until they are older and fully feathered, or provide safe coop heat during the transition.
Need more help with your flock?
Browse our guides by topic to find practical solutions.
Wellness Planner: $39