is my outside brooder ok?

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Spanishchick

Spanishchick

Chirping
6 Years
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My Coop
My Coop
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Hi my chicks turned three weeks and I couldn't take another day of them in the house. We have some 30/degree nights. Do you think this is ok? I penned them off from the others.
 
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I have a tractor coop I use as a my brooder/grow out coop. I don't use anything other than the brooder heater and some water filled milk jugs to even the temperature out. Last years chicks came around this time. The only thing I did was heat up the water jugs at night for the first week or so and watch the temperature under the heater. With yours at three weeks, they should do alright with just the heater.
 
Just make sure that the light can keep them warm and they'll be fine. I brooder is outside too. Always has been where I've done it. I use a Frugah 91 coop for the brooder, right now I just have them in the bottom part with a light and a tarp wrapped around it to keep the heat in. When they get bigger I'll put the ramps in and the floor for the top part in.

http://www.amazon.com/Pawhut-Deluxe-Wooden-Chicken-Outdoor/dp/B00DE6KQUG
 
700

Oh wow we just have a big coup but we put shelves and were going to store hay where the chicks are but the chickens lay there. Should make an interesting morning tomorrow. I'm afraid of a light outside too but what can I do? Water doesn't freeze anymore btw. Although the weather is strange.
 
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Here's a better picture, we were still building when I took that shot.
700

We try to be really clean. Rats and bugs are not my cup of tea.
 
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I understand not wanting a light with the straw but that is still too cold for them at night without a light. Maybe a dog crate in there with the light. Then if they are chilled they can decide to go in and get warm.
 
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I secured the light as best I could. Yes I don't like it. They seem fine, there's nothing like a mother.
 
Well I did not sleep a wink. I kept thinking if the lamp drops......fire. so at some point in the wee hours of the morning I go to the coup. The chicks look happy eating and drinking and me, sorullo, chapara and pepa are lokking at eachother wide awake. The RIR's chickens and rooster are asleep. No wonder they can lay every day, they don't care about anything!
I looked for something to temporarily secure the light with so it has a backup. Thank god wire and a wire cutter were in the corral. So I re-re-secure the light and go back to bed. Maybe I slept 2 hours once my husband got up at 5 to let the dogs out and check the chicks.....which I can see from a glass door behind the house. Well I can see in the coup and the light.
Anyhow, today I'm going to put a double wire mesh under the lamp. If it comes loose, gets kicked, drops it will drop o to the mesh and not the hay.
So me and three chickens spent the night awake....I should have sat out there with them :idunno but everyone made it through the night.
As I write I can hear the hawks who must hear their little chirps and the chirps of thousands of other birds that migrate here every year.
Again there is nothing like a mother.

Today they'll have a lot more fun running around than they did in the brooder! In an hour or so I can shut the light and they even have a window. (Plexi glass with not enough runway to break their necks)
 
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Here's a great update. Chicks are almost four weeks old. Temps got down in the low 30's last night, had the heat lamp in they're little space and they did fine. Put a little more hay and closed off the openings to keep more heat in. Its in the coup/barn now (we got goats) so its not exactly an incubator in there. During the day if its 60° or over I shut off the lamp and they're fine.

They are happy and running around eating and drinking and sometimes get brave enough to venture out with the rest of the chickens who don't bother them.
Its very cute.
Btw wiring the heating lamp up so it can't fall did the trick. It got hit by a chicken or two several times and nothing happened.
 
Great Thread! I am sick of having the chicks, that are six weeks old, in the house! Coop is not ready yet- next week is the goal. It's supposed to be in the 40's tonight and I really want the brooder out of my office and on the screen porch. I was nervous about the low temps but from what I hear from all of you, they should be fine with a heat lamp. Yay!
 

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