Brood chicks and light the laying flock
Chicks need steady heat for their first weeks. Laying hens need long days to keep laying in winter. Both draw power, so add them to your load plan.
How
- Set up and test the brooder at least a day before chicks arrive (UNH).
- Keep 32 to 35 C (90 to 95 F) in week 1, measured just above the litter under the heat source. Lower it by about 3 C (5 F) each week (UNH).
- Remove the heat when it reaches 18 to 21 C (65 to 70 F) or matches the outdoor temperature (UNH).
- Read the chicks. Crowding under the lamp means too cold; spreading to the edges means too hot; bunching on one side means a draught.
- Use wood shavings for litter, not slippery newspaper, cardboard or plastic. Give starter feed and clean water at all times.
- For winter lay, give 14 to 16 hours of light a day. More than 16 hours adds no eggs; never run lights 24 hours (University of Arizona).
- Add light in the morning, before sunrise, so hens go to roost at natural dusk. Increase by 15 to 30 minutes a week.
- Do not add light for pullets before about 18 weeks old. Early laying can cause prolapse and smaller eggs (University of Arizona).
- A 9 W LED covers about 18.6 m2 (200 sq ft) of coop and run (University of Arizona). Add brooder and coop lights to the power plan.
Safety: Heat lamps start barn fires. Hang lamps by a chain, never the cord. Keep them well away from bedding and protect bulbs from water splashes (UNH). The University of Arizona advises against heat lamps for laying-flock lighting.
Do these first
Sources
- Brooding and caring for chicks. University of New Hampshire Extension, accessed 2026-11
- Lighting schedules for Arizona backyard laying flocks. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, accessed 2026-11