Poultry encyclopedia · NEXTEKCI School · Farm equipment
Gas brooder (radiant heater)
A heater hung above the chicks that warms the litter by radiation. It is the reference heat source for brooding: stable, adjustable and independent of mains power. About 40 °C at floor level directly beneath it, at least 32 °C in the rest of the brooding area.
Key facts
- Floor directly under the brooder
- About 40 °C
- Floor of the brooding area
- At least 32 °C
- Days 1 to 3, at chick height
- 32 to 34 °C under the brooder, 28 to 30 °C in the rest of the area
- Temperature variation over 24 hours
- No more than 2 °C
- Lighting up
- At least 48 hours before arrival
- Gas
- Always a full spare cylinder
What it is for
Chicks cannot regulate their own temperature for the first 5 days, and not fully before 14 days. Even in Côte d’Ivoire, the nights are too cool for them. A gas brooder, or radiant heater, sends its heat downwards: it warms the litter, and the chicks choose their own spot, nearer or further away.
It does not depend on mains power, which makes it the reference heat source wherever electricity cuts out.
Target temperatures
At chick height: 32 to 34 °C under the brooder and 28 to 30 °C in the rest of the area on days 1 to 3; 30 to 32 °C and 27 to 29 °C on days 4 to 7; 28 to 30 °C and 26 to 28 °C on days 8 to 14. After 14 days, lower by 2 to 3 °C a week down to the outside temperature.
On arrival, the floor must be at least 32 °C in the brooding area and about 40 °C directly under the brooder, and the temperature must not vary by more than 2 °C over 24 hours.
Setting it up
Hang the brooder in the centre of the chick guard, at the height recommended by the manufacturer. Light it at least 48 hours before arrival: floor and air must be stable for 24 hours before the chicks go in. Put a thermometer at chick height in the centre of the brooding area, and measure at floor level, not up in the air.
Feed and water are never placed directly under the brooder. Never close a gas-heated house completely: the flame uses up oxygen and gives off gases. Always keep a high opening to let fresh air in.
Adjusting it by watching the chicks
Watch the chicks 1 to 2 hours after arrival, then every two hours on the first night. Chicks huddled in a heap under the heat and chirping loudly are cold: lower the brooder or turn up the heat, close the curtains and stop the draughts. Chicks pressed against the edges of the guard, beaks open, wings spread, are too hot: raise the brooder or turn down the heat, and ventilate.
Chicks that are evenly spread, active, eating, drinking and sleeping tell you the setting is right. The thermometer gives a number; the chicks give the truth.
Maintenance and safety
Before each flock, dust the brooder and check the hose, the connections and the regulator: if in any doubt, replace the part. Always keep a full spare cylinder, stored away from heat, and check the gas level in the evening before the night.
A heating failure at 2 a.m. discovered at 6 a.m. costs chicks smothered in heaps: on the first night, someone sleeps near the house and checks every two hours.
Common mistakes
Lighting up on arrival day, when the floor is still cold; having no spare cylinder; measuring the temperature in the air instead of at floor level; putting water or feed under the brooder; sealing the house completely to keep the heat in; not checking the chicks at night.