Anyone have an outdoor brooder?

[rebelcowboysnb]

I dont think so.

 

[tracyork]

So, if most of you think the chicks are ok outside, then they should be ok with a hen? They are in a mesh pen outside, with a wooden box for sleeping at night. The hen scratched all the nest material out in about day two after hatching. I have a heat lamp on, and the last couple days they have been huddling under it during the day. It was quite breezy and cool today, high of 58 or so. It was down to 43 at night. Of course at night they are all under the hen, but I was a little worried about their behaviour today.

They are cuckoo marans, 2.5 weeks old.

 

[HathawayHens]

Quote:

 

[Southernbelle]

Quote:
If the chicks are being raised by a broody, I don't give them a heat lamp at all, even in the dead of winter. The hen is their heat lamp and she lets them tuck under her whenever they need to. I've never lost a chick to the cold.

I've had broodies hatch and raise chicks when the daytime temps were in the single digits and I was amazed at how little the cold seemed to bother these brand new chicks - they'd tuck under mama when they got cold, but otherwise they were barreling around the pen in the freezing cold: eating, drinking, playing. It changed my view on how necessary exact brooder temperatures are.

 

[HorizonSon]

I've seen pictures of week old chicks out roaming on ice! Admittedly, I believe those chicks were raised 100% by a broody hen and this had the warmth they needed at night. Hope this helps...

Note that I should be receiving 25 Delawares the first week of November. These "week old" chicks will be going straight outside in a brooder of sorts. It starts to freeze here in January(ish). They should be just fine ;-)

 

[SassyKat6181]

Last night was their first night in the coop. They were all sprawled out, cozy under the heat lamp. This morning they were peeping and running around. They were happy to see me and I tossed them some cheerios....they went nuts for them!