Brooding start temperature — what to set on day 1 and how to lower it
In the first days a chick cannot regulate its own temperature — we have to provide the heat. The start is usually set at 32-34°C and then lowered by about 2-3°C per week down to 20-21°C. This calculator gives you a ready temperature schedule by age, a weekly example and — most importantly — how to read the temperature from the birds’ behaviour, because the thermometer is only half the truth.
verifiedFrom the team that has organised work on poultry farms for years.
What we set and why
A freshly hatched chick cannot yet hold a steady body temperature — for the first days it behaves like an organism dependent on heat from outside. If it is cold, chicks huddle, eat and drink less and grow worse; if too hot, they pant, scatter and dehydrate. That is why the brooding start temperature (the period of warming chicks) is one of the most important settings in the whole cycle. We describe the same heat logic in more depth in broiler farming.
What temperature we start from
For chicken chicks the start is usually around 32-34°C measured at bird height, with the litter already warm before placement. This is not the temperature of the whole house, but of the zone where the chicks are. The rest of the building can be cooler — what matters is that the bird has somewhere to warm up and somewhere to cool off. The choice and cost of the heat source is covered in house heating costs and in the comparison of gas versus blown-air heating.
How to lower it — the schedule in words
The rule is simple: each week we lower the temperature by about 2-3°C until we reach 20-21°C, the target temperature of the growing flock. In practice: week 1 ~32-34°C, week 2 ~29-31°C, week 3 ~27-28°C, week 4 ~24-25°C, and from week 5-6 ~20-21°C. This is an indicative schedule — exact values depend on species, feathering and season. How much heat you really need to provide can be estimated with the house energy demand calculator.
Bird behaviour is the best thermometer
Most important: the temperature a chick feels is not always the one on the thermometer. Humidity, draughts and air movement all play a part. So the best indicator is how the birds spread out. Evenly distributed, active, eating and drinking chicks mean the temperature is right. Huddled under the heat source — too cold. Scattered to the walls and panting — too hot. The calculator gives starting settings, but the bird corrects them every hour.
Calculate and run brooding with DlaFerm.pl
The temperature schedule is one of those things easier to run digitally than on paper. In DlaFerm.pl you record settings, observations and the course of brooding in the digital Flock Card, and you register the flock and link it with records in IRZplus. The IRZplus portal can be unintuitive, so you can have DlaFerm.pl file the flock-change reports for you — automatically, if you want; or you can report them yourself. So you know when to lower the temperature and how the birds reacted in previous batches. You can create a farm account for free.
How to calculate and set the start temperature — six steps
From gathering flock data to controller settings and ongoing control. Order matters: first the schedule, then correction from observing the birds.
Gather data: species, age, type of heating
Note the species and type of bird (e.g. chicken broiler, layer, turkey), the planned placement age and the type of heating — spot (radiant brooder, hover) or whole-area (blown air). This decides whether you set the temperature of the zone under the source or of the whole room. You can compare heat sources and their cost in gas versus blown-air heating.
Read the temperature from the schedule
For chicken chicks take a start of 32-34°C and lower it by ~2-3°C per week down to 20-21°C. Schedule: week 1 32-34°C, week 2 29-31°C, week 3 27-28°C, week 4 24-25°C, weeks 5-6 20-21°C. These are indicative values at bird height, not at the ceiling. For other species shift the start level as in the Standards section below.
Calculate a weekly example
Example: you place chicken chicks in a cold season. Week 1 — set 33°C and hold it stable. Week 2 — go down to ~30°C (−3°C). Week 3 — ~27.5°C. Week 4 — ~25°C. From week 5 — ~21°C. Make each drop gradual, ideally a few tenths a day rather than in one jump — a sudden change stresses the flock.
Read the correction from how birds spread out
After placement watch how the chicks settle. Evenly across the zone, active and near the feed — temperature is on target. Bunched under the heat — add 1-2°C. Scattered to the walls, panting with open beaks — subtract 1-2°C. Quiet and even movement is a good sign; cheeping and huddling means something needs fixing.
Record the result — settings for each week
The result is a ready table of settings: the chick-zone temperature for day 1 and the lowering thresholds for the following weeks. Record them in one place, e.g. in the digital Flock Card, so the next batch starts from proven values, not from scratch. Add the season — in winter the start is often 1-2°C higher.
Use the settings in the controller and monitor
Enter the temperatures into the heating controller and set the lowering schedule. Place the thermometer at bird height, not under the ceiling. Check the flock’s distribution daily and adjust the settings — the calculator gives the starting point, and daily control keeps it on target. How much energy this uses can be estimated in the energy demand calculator.
Standards and tips
Temperature values by age, species differences and the factors that change the perceived temperature. Six things to remember during brooding.
Temperatures by age
Take the weekly schedule for chicken chicks: week 1 32-34°C, week 2 29-31°C, week 3 27-28°C, week 4 24-25°C, weeks 5-6 20-21°C. These are indicative values in the bird zone. Make the drop smoothly over the week rather than in one jump — the flock has to keep up with feathering as the temperature changes.
Species differences
Chicken chicks and broilers start at around 33°C. Turkey poults are more sensitive and often need a slightly higher start (35-37°C) with slower lowering. Goslings and ducklings feather up faster and usually need less heating. Always check the recommendations in the genetic line’s management guide — those are the reference point for a given flock.
Humidity and perceived temperature
The thermometer shows a number, but the chick feels the perceived temperature — driven by humidity and air movement. In the first days keep humidity around 60-70%; air that is too dry dries the chicks out, too humid favours disease. A draught at bird level acts like lowering the temperature by a few degrees — so building tightness and the airflow pattern matter too.
Observing birds: huddling and panting
The surest indicator is behaviour. Chicks bunched under the heat source and cheeping — too cold, raise the temperature. Scattered to the walls, lying with open beaks and panting — too hot, lower it. Even distribution, activity, eating and drinking — the temperature is right. The thermometer confirms, but the bird is right.
Common mistakes
The most common errors: measuring the temperature under the ceiling instead of at bird height, cold litter at placement, cooling down too fast, ignoring draughts and sticking only to the thermometer without watching the flock. Another common one is a start too low in a cold season — in winter it is worth adding 1-2°C and warming the litter longer before placing the chicks.
Calculate and plan in the app
The temperature schedule, observations and settings are most convenient to run digitally. In DlaFerm.pl you have them in the digital Flock Card, and you link the flock with IRZplus records. So you start each batch from proven values and see how the birds reacted before. That means less guessing and fewer losses at the start of brooding.
Frequently asked questions about the brooding start temperature
What temperature should I set on day 1 of brooding?add
For chicken chicks the start is usually 32-34°C measured at bird height, in the warm zone under the heat source. The litter should be warm before placement. This is not the temperature of the whole house but of the spot where the chicks are. Turkey poults usually need a slightly higher start, while goslings and ducklings need a lower one.
How much should I lower the temperature each week?add
Typically by about 2-3°C per week until you reach the target of 20-21°C. An indicative schedule for chicks: week 1 32-34°C, week 2 29-31°C, week 3 27-28°C, week 4 24-25°C, from weeks 5-6 20-21°C. Make the drop smoothly over the week rather than in one jump, so as not to stress the flock.
How do I know the temperature is right?add
The best indicator is how the birds spread out. Evenly distributed, active, eating and drinking chicks mean the temperature is good. Bunched under the heat source — too cold, add 1-2°C. Scattered to the walls, lying and panting — too hot, subtract 1-2°C. The thermometer is a reference, but the flock’s behaviour decides the correction.
Does the temperature depend on the species?add
Yes. Chicken chicks and broilers start at around 33°C. Turkey poults are more sensitive and often need a higher start (35-37°C) with slower lowering. Goslings and ducklings feather up faster and usually need less heating. The most reliable figures come from the management guide of the specific genetic line.
Does humidity affect the perceived temperature?add
Yes. The chick feels the perceived temperature, which is affected by humidity and air movement. In the first days keep humidity around 60-70%. A draught at bird level acts like lowering the temperature by a few degrees, so building tightness and the right airflow pattern matter, not just the number on the thermometer.
Can I calculate the temperature in the DlaFerm.pl app?add
You run the temperature schedule in the app as part of brooding — you record settings, observations and the course in the digital Flock Card, and you register the flock and link it with IRZplus records. So you start the next batch from proven values and see how the birds reacted before. You can create a farm account for free.
Run brooding calmly with DlaFerm.pl
Want your temperature schedule, observations and settings in one place instead of on paper? We will show you how DlaFerm.pl runs brooding through the digital Flock Card and records in IRZplus. Create a free farm account and run the flock from day one.
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