3 week old chicks and temperature concerns

[arthurpete]

I have 26 chicks and 7 ducks sharing a brooder and it is getting awfully cramped. I noticed one of the ducks last night was harrassing the chicks, pecking feathers and what not. The chicks turn 3 weeks tomorrow and the ducks will be 3 this weekend.

The temps here are going to be a little crisp with highs in the mid 60's and lows in the mid to lower 30's. We have had 6 inches of rain here in the last few days so the ground will be damp for a few more. The chicks have mostly developed their wing feathers but are still a bit fuzzy and the ducks certainly dont look ready. I normally set up a cardboard box with litter (straw/shavings) inside the coop and direct a lamp towards the box but it is still open to drafts. I have always put out the chicks later in the spring when low are mid 40's-50's so i am wondering if the mid to low 30's will be an issue.

thoughts....

 

[gcbsmommy]

Sounds like you are in my neck of the woods. That is the weather we are anticipating in Central Florida. It's too soon to have your 3 week olds out there IMO. Can you relieve the crowding by removing the ducks and putting them in some temporary set up? A big cardboard moving box or something?

My chicks are almost 4 weeks old and I am DYING to get them off my enclosed porch and into the coop, but since it will be in the 30s for lows this weekend and I don't have electricity in the coop yet, they are staying on the porch until the cold snap ends, at least.

 

[Usingmyrights]

North central FL here. Mine are 2 weeks old and I have them in a brooder under the carport and want to change from the heat lamp to a regular 100w bulb, but too was concerned about to low temps. They're in one of those upside down box with a wire bottom brooders, so basically completely enclosed.