We're first-time chicken owners--we bought 4 pullets and brought them home yesterday. We were told they were off heat and ready to go in the coop, and I hadn't read anything suggesting it was more complicated than that, so that's what we did. Then last night I stumbled across an article saying pullets should be gradually introduced to the coop (these girls had been living in a spacious, warm, well-lit garage with a glass door).
Unfortunately there's a cold front moving through right now, and it's about 60 degrees out there and overcast, going down to the low 50s overnight, for the next two days. Then it will go up to the 70s again. Bad timing for these girls who aren't used to chilly weather. They're huddled together in a sheltered part of the coop.
I've got some seed starting mats, and was considering putting one in the spot they're in now (walls on 3 sides on top of brick pavers and bedding), and maybe one above them under the roosting bars in the coop proper for overnight. The mats are designed to raise the temperature 10-20 degrees, they don't have thermostats.
Would that be safe and helpful to get them through the chilly weather and acclimatizing to being outdoors?
Unfortunately there's a cold front moving through right now, and it's about 60 degrees out there and overcast, going down to the low 50s overnight, for the next two days. Then it will go up to the 70s again. Bad timing for these girls who aren't used to chilly weather. They're huddled together in a sheltered part of the coop.
I've got some seed starting mats, and was considering putting one in the spot they're in now (walls on 3 sides on top of brick pavers and bedding), and maybe one above them under the roosting bars in the coop proper for overnight. The mats are designed to raise the temperature 10-20 degrees, they don't have thermostats.
Would that be safe and helpful to get them through the chilly weather and acclimatizing to being outdoors?
