Yesterday I learned that the big box stores stop selling heaters in the spring. Understandable, but made me a little panicked when the forecast was for a low of 40 and the instructions on the radiant heat brooder say to keep the air temperature above 50. We’ve lived in Texas for awhile. We don’t own heaters.

The blanket around the end of the brooder area was OK during the day, but to be safe, I went and bought a brooder heat lamp (and took down the blanket, I’ve been through a fire, don’t want to again). The heat lamp worked. The air temperature in the brooder near the lamp stayed in the high 50s. The chicks were happy in the morning.