Anyone have experience with heat lamps in cold garage?

[Fred's Hens]

I use a rack of lamps. I can pick and choose the wattage I need, based on ambient air temps. Unless the garage or barn is colder than 30F, there's no need for more than the 250watt. I've had nights as low as 17F, so I kick in another bulb. Also, on warm days, or when the chicks are 4 weeks old, the 250watt is overkill and I'm done using it.

 

[JAllender]

I used to keep ours in the garage.... (when we had room) and it was perfect... I only had one heat lamp on them . I did wrap a blanket around the "gating" to kill chill off if garage was open... (We used baby gate that can make different sizes)

 

[kiwiegg]

Thanks Fred. The whole time they have been in our house I kept wondering why I have had them in the house!

 

[mixitup]

The first time I had chicks and ducklings I kept them in the unfinished basement with a heat lamp. The second time, they went in the barn. We have a concrete floor on one side and large, large patio stones on the other. I just put heaps of shavings in and a heat lamp and they did just fine as long as I watched the temp. So yours should do just fine the the garage with a heat lamp. Just make sure to check to see they aren't too warm!

 

[chicken pickin]

This is how i had it set up. Though I did occasionally unplugg one lamp or both if the garage warmed up. The last week they were in there i only gave them one heat lamp(age 51/2 - 6 1/2weeks) they are now outside in the coop(7 1/2weeks old) with one heat lamp at night if the temp is under 50.

Im sure one lamp would have been fine I was just a first time chicken mama and didnt want them to chill(hopefully they werent too toasty :{ )

 

[red hen in the rain]

I have my 15 chicks brooding in the front room because everyone who lives here really enjoys watching them. Our place is an old farmhouse with a wood-stove on a gravel road, dust is a fact of life. The smell is fine, I clean the brooder shavings every 5 days, i like the fresh chick-n-pine shavings smell. I do look forward to finishing their coop and moving then out in a week or so for the joy of watching them expand into bigger space. I've added onto the brooder, but flying practice has started!. Good incentive for me to go out and be with them and work on projects, the coop and my workshop share a wall (there will be a chicken door!). I will keep their heat lamp going in one corner of the coop till it warms up more. Here in the Oregon Coast Range it's chilly and damp usually through mid-May. Just keep an eye on them and they'll tell you if things aren't right.