# Cornish X and temperature



## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Hi,

Knowing that the Cornish cross grow at an exceptional rate, should I still follow the 5-degree reduction in temperature per week guidance as I would for other breeds? 

I really need to get these, 2-week old, 30 birds out of my garage later this week and their coop doesn't have power for a lamp. Right now the evening lows are in the high 50s (which is unseasonably cold) but should be in the 60s by next week. 

Thanks!


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

Start reducing the heat now...the 5 degrees a week is overkill IMO.

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker integration to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later i still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

The lamp is best at one end of the brooder with food/water at the other cooler end of the brooder, so they can get away from the heat or be under it as needed. Wattage of 'heat' bulb depends on size of brooder and ambient temperature of room brooder is in. Regular incandescent bulbs can be used, you might not need a 'heat bulb'. You can get red colored incandescent bulbs at a reptile supply source. A dimmer extension cord is an excellent way to adjust the output of the bulb to change the heat without changing the height of the lamp.


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Wow , that is a very well written and appreciated response! I think you really brought up some great thinking points about bacteria growth at such a high 'recommended' temperature. I had also ever thought of a dimmer for the heat lamp. I appreciate your response!


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2015)

aart said:


> Start reducing the heat now...the 5 degrees a week is overkill IMO.
> 
> Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
> They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker integration to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later i still use it but more out of curiosity than need.
> ...


I agree with you. I usually have my chicks completely off the heat by the time they're 3 weeks old. 

Chicks are much tougher than what the books indicate. And anyhow, the chicks don't read the books.


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## DoubleAcre (Dec 15, 2014)

Last year we were really careful to watch the temp and adjust the heat lamp up each week. This year we started the same way with our first 8 chicks. Then moved them outside in the tractor coop we used for the meat birds when they started to get their feathers. I hung a heat lamp down near the ground and let them get as close to the heat as they wanted.

Just added a bunch more chicks this weekend and they went straight to the tractor coop. They are all doing great. It's been getting down to mid thirties at night and they get near the heat, but never over crowd each other which tells me they are not getting too cold. There's about 28 chicks out there running in the grass and getting as close or as far from the heat as they want.

Seems much better then stuck in a box for the 1st few weeks.


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## BakersAcres (May 31, 2014)

I watch the chicks to see how much heat they really need. If they are pilling up under the heat lamp you need to lower it a little. If they are avoiding the lamp, raise it up. Let the chicks tell you what they need because each situation is different and God gave them the sense to know. The books are great but they can't address every situation. It is draft and wetness that really effects chicks the most, draft free and dry dry dry is the way to go. After about a week they can start taking colder temps as long as they are dry and draft free until they are mostly feathered out. Broilers are much tougher than the books say because most of the books are written with total indoor confinement operations in mind. Get them outside as soon as possible.


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## brumer0 (Jan 21, 2015)

Thanks for everybody's reply.

I moved them outside yesterday at 3 weeks. Low last night was 52 and it was 54 when I went out to give them their food this morning. The sun hadn't hit them yet and they were spread out all over the coop. I expected them huddled together. So no concern there for temps... I also added some plywood on the 4th side to help with drafts; will probably take that out in a few days now that I know the low 50 temps didn't bother them.

Took them off the heat lamp at about 10 days old. I would've moved them outside 3 or 4 days earlier but I was out of town for some long hours and it was easier to leave them where they were rather than fight dark. 

Very interesting breed of bird.... My wife says they lost their cuteness and she will have no problem eating them which is definitely a good thing.


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