I moved the babies outdoors. Think they'll be okay?

[BarnyardChaos]

I moved the whole clutch of 26 chicks to their "Nursery Coop" this afternoon. They are 2-weeks old today and starting to outgrow the indoor brooder cage setup in my basement, where they've been since hatching. They haven't used the brooder heat plate for the last 3-4 nights, preferring instead to huddle together in a corner. Ambient temps in that part of the basement stay at about 66-68-deg-F.

The Nursery Coop is a 4' x 8' wooden shed with ventilation at the roofline (or a window when I need it open). I made sure there are ZERO drafts down low, with all possible cracks in the walls or floor sealed up tight. They have their 12" x 24" brooder heat plate, plus a heat lamp about 18" off the floor. I've got a thermometer under that lamp just to be sure it's keeping warm enough (at last check, 78-deg). Temp outside right now is 44-deg-F, and it will get down to about 35-deg overnight.

Do you think they'll be okay, or did I do this too soon or too abrupt?

 

[Huntmaster]

Sounds like they should be fine did they find and use the heat plate? Is the heat lamp keeping temps 78 deg. around heat plate? As long as that heat lamp is secured properly you should be fine.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Sounds like they should be fine did they find and use the heat plate? Is the heat lamp keeping temps 78 deg. around heat plate? As long as that heat lamp is secured properly you should be fine.

They weren't interested in the heat plate. I checked height again, lowered one end to 3.5" and raised the other to 4.5", then stuffed several of them underneath it. A few stayed, some came out, others went under, etc. thought it was good then, and I left. Came back to check a few minutes ago, and they had abandoned it for the heat lamp. Temp under the lamp was 68-deg. I lowered it to about 14", and that's about as low as I feel safe doing. It's well secured. They're still milling about, under the lamp and around it, peeping quietly. I'll check again later. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Huntmaster]

They sound like they will be fine and will love all the extra room to roam. To hot right under lamp won't hurt as long as they can get away from it and they will stay where it is comfortable for them. With all that room they should find just the right spot.

 

[LhickenChicken]

They'll be just fine!!!!!! I'm sure of it!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Okay, so they made it through the first night outdoors just FINE. Whew.

When I went out at 7am to check on them, the temp alarm on my regulator (for the heat plate) was going bonkers, and I think that's what had the chicks so panicked; they were all over the place, freaking out. I could hear them bouncing around in there before I peeked in the window. I don't know how long it had been beeping - maybe most of the night. Poor things; not a very peaceful night at all, but apparently warm enough. No dead or weak chicks.

Lesson learned: Heat plate does NOT work well in cold temps. It was coming up to temp when I went to bed (outdoors 44-deg-F). This morning (outdoors 35-deg-F) it was registering 13-degrees below the set temp. I'll need to shop for another rated for outdoor use.

I turned off the alarm and they immediately settled down. Finished my other cattle and chicken chores, came back to check the chicks, and they were happily scratching and peeping around the perimeter of their heat lamp and some distance from it. I see they had eaten a significant portion of their food. So all is WELL.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Good! How are they this morning?
Sorry, BYC decided I shouldn't receive any notifications.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Good! How are they this morning?
Sorry, BYC decided I shouldn't receive any notifications.

They've been just great the past few days outdoors, in their nursery brooder. They rejected the brooder plate, but did fine with the heat lamp, and I added a supplemental flat panel heater a little distance away, so they could spread out between lamp and heater. It's been working great. HOWEVER..... tonight and tomorrow night it's supposed to get down to 12-deg-F, and not break above freezing tomorrow. I gave in and brought the babies all back indoors to their wire brooder cage for a few more days. Just too cold for my comfort and ability to sleep at night, even IF they'd have been warm enough.

 

[aynesidea]

They weren't interested in the heat plate. I checked height again, lowered one end to 3.5" and raised the other to 4.5", then stuffed several of them underneath it. A few stayed, some came out, others went under, etc. thought it was good then, and I left. Came back to check a few minutes ago, and they had abandoned it for the heat lamp. Temp under the lamp was 68-deg. I lowered it to about 14", and that's about as low as I feel safe doing. It's well secured. They're still milling about, under the lamp and around it, peeping quietly. I'll check again later. Thanks for the encouragement.

My heat plate was not warm enough for my TSC babies. They loved the heat lamp and we used it for about 10 days, then removed it, leaving the plate. They were 2 wks old when they went to live in the dining rm, 68 24 hours a day, then started turning heat down to 66 at night. They were fine, and have been outside now for 3 days, 38 at night. They go into their coop at night and snuggle.