6.5 weeks upper 20’s temp heating mat/pad use question

[Magnolia76]

I live in SD it’s very unpredictable weather. My chicks turned 6 weeks today. They had been living in my bathroom up until 5.5 weeks (This past weekend ) When I had to move them out because they were flying all over the place and just tired of being in there. The weather seemed ok. It got into mid 40s at night. I cannot put a heat lamp the risk of fire is too high here. I also just oppose the idea of heat in general as I want them acclimated to where we live. However they are not fully grown right now. They have been fine this week I touch them while they sleep on the roost and they feel warm. They have been playing in the run in the 50s for the 4 days they’ve been out of the bathroom. But…..suddenly the forecast shows it’s going to be in the upper 20s as the low this weekend and upper 40s as the high! I’m about to break my own plan and go get a heated mat in the poultry section at the store. I believe that is considered safe as far as fire hazard? I don’t know if they can naturally handle upper 20s having only been exposed to 40-60 for a week!? What do y’all think do I need a mat? And what is the best way to use it do I just hang it on the wall or put it on the ground. They sleep on the 2x4s. Here’s a pic from 4 days ago. Everything is sealed in really good with weatherstripping and caulk except at the ceiling where it’s vented (I added more vents that you can’t see in the picture). Best way to use the heated mat or should I stick with my plan of leaving them be being that I’m on the team of no heat in coop… (but unfair to do to babies though!?)

 

[DobieLover]

They don't need a heat source at all.
They are fully feathered and will be absolutely fine in those temperatures. Relax!
Regardless of what ventilation you do have in that coop it sounds like it's way too tight and needs a lot more ventilation.
The general rule of thumb around here is 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation per bird in the coop. That's almost always impossible to achieve. However, what the takeaway message should be is lots and lots of ventilation in the coop.
Does your run have a solid roof on it? If so I strongly advise that you move the food and water out there. It's taking up a lot of valuable real estate inside the coop. It's also much easier to keep the coop clean if the food and water are outside in the run.

 

[Magnolia76]

They don't need a heat source at all.
They are fully feathered and will be absolutely fine in those temperatures. Relax!
Regardless of what ventilation you do have in that coop it sounds like it's way too tight and needs a lot more ventilation.
The general rule of thumb around here is 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation per bird in the coop. That's almost always impossible to achieve. However, what the takeaway message should be is lots and lots of ventilation in the coop.
Does your run have a solid roof on it? If so I strongly advise that you move the food and water out there. It's taking up a lot of valuable real estate inside the coop. It's also much easier to keep the coop clean if the food and water are outside in the run.

Hello. I will be moving the food and water to the run but they’ve only been in the coop for four days now and just yesterday are learning to go back in on own. It’s been chilly and rainy and windy and mostly they stay inside the coop. They turned six weeks today. They are still so small the food and water is not taking up space in there at this time. Here is a picture of the run. My concern is they’ve been in the house up until four days ago and now they’ve been enduring all kinds of weather and a low of 42 one night. If it’s supposed to get down to 28 or 29 at night this weekend I don’t know if they can handle it have you had cold hearty breed birds be able to suddenly handle that temperature?

They don't need a heat source at all.
They are fully feathered and will be absolutely fine in those temperatures. Relax!
Regardless of what ventilation you do have in that coop it sounds like it's way too tight and needs a lot more ventilation.
The general rule of thumb around here is 1 sq ft of permanent ventilation per bird in the coop. That's almost always impossible to achieve. However, what the takeaway message should be is lots and lots of ventilation in the coop.
Does your run have a solid roof on it? If so I strongly advise that you move the food and water out there. It's taking up a lot of valuable real estate inside the coop. It's also much easier to keep the coop clean if the food and water are outside in the run.

Also you reference it’s too tight I’m not sure what you mean. There are no drafts that I can find. It’s my understanding it should be sealed in really well except the very top for venting. The ventilation is at the ceiling. No I cannot get the entire top Cut open but I have about 11 of those circle vents you see one of in the pic. I plan on adding more of them.

 

[SamCO]

I love your coop/run area. looks like they have a great setup! I'm in Colorado, and supposed to get chilly here this weekend too. I had my girls outside at 5 weeks into their coop, and it was getting into the upper twenties/low thirties inside the coop. I did have a brooder plate in there, but pulled it out at about 7 weeks. I felt more comfortable with having some heat in there since they had just moved out.

 

[Magnolia76]

Appreciate it it’s been frustrating because we live on a hill. They will have additional run space with the 700 ft.² under our deck that I have also hardware cloth in. Just as soon as we can make a Chunnel for them to use to get to it. We still have to do other things to the run first. The coop is not ideal I was expecting a better quality for $2000 and got it so that my husband did not have to take time building the coop. It was a mistake. But the small size might be good for cold winters to help keep them warm. I will be adding insulation in the winter. I just need to get them through the next couple weeks until I know their bodies are strong enough to handle cold. I’m probably worried for nothing but I would feel awful of course if they got hurt during the cold this weekend.

 

[Magnolia76]

I love your coop/run area. looks like they have a great setup! I'm in Colorado, and supposed to get chilly here this weekend too. I had my girls outside at 5 weeks into their coop, and it was getting into the upper twenties/low thirties inside the coop. I did have a brooder plate in there, but pulled it out at about 7 weeks. I felt more comfortable with having some heat in there since they had just moved out.

So yours did ok. That’s good to know! Thanks! As far as the heated mat I’m just not sure if it’s even worth trying. I’m still debating on it. I did not get a heated plate like you have because I just kept them in the tile shower and hung a heat lamp

 

[SamCO]

Its crazy how much everything costs right now. We ended up ordering a tuff shed and dividing it in half so that half is coop and half is shed. It was expensive, but we figured at least we also get a shed out of it. We usually build everything ourselves, but we're just being lazy. we are still building our covered run, and it's taking longer than I'd like. I don't think it would hurt to toss a brooder plate in there, that way they have it if they need it. Though I'm sure they'd be fine without it.

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I love your setup!! I think the coop and run look great. When you said they were small, I was thinking bantams! That's what I have, and once they are feathered in, they are fine. I had to put mine in those temps. Only time I worried was when it was going to be close to 0 F.. then I moved them back inside the house for a few days. But your birds are big and that coop looks great. They will create heat amongst each other and be fine. I would keep the food and water in there until they get brave enough to start wandering out. Love the pic with them all piled at the door!!

 

[Magnolia76]

Yeah tell me about it the coop was actually the cheapest thing lol. Between the coop and the run and everything from the concrete to the brackets to the screws to roof to paint etc. my husband calculated we are over $5000 now!!! We would’ve come out better building the coop our self and it could’ve been what I wanted. When it’s time to replace it we will build ourself. He was procrastinating on starting all of this as it’s not easy on this hill so I thought I would find a Coop kit to make it easier on him. We’ve been working on the run for the last month the entire weekend. Tired lol. We build some thing similar in our last home in Washington state sev years ago for $2000. Sad the cost of things now!

 

[Magnolia76]

I love your setup!! I think the coop and run look great. When you said they were small, I was thinking bantams! That's what I have, and once they are feathered in, they are fine. I had to put mine in those temps. Only time I worried was when it was going to be close to 0 F.. then I moved them back inside the house for a few days. But your birds are big and that coop looks great. They will create heat amongst each other and be fine. I would keep the food and water in there until they get brave enough to start wandering out. Love the pic with them all piled at the door!!

Yes as soon as they are good with coming and going I will be moving the food and water permanently to the outside! So you feel that I am safe with them experiencing 29° at night this weekend. That’s good to hear thank you so much