Baby chicks outside? Help!

[ChanLillie]

ok please for the love of chickens tell me that I can keep my chicks outside!

I have an upwards of 70 chicks, guineas, peafowl and ducks INSIDE in brooders and I'm done!

Can I put them in a brooder guard in my coop? It gets in the 90s during the day and 50-70s at night. By coop, I mean that I have a brand new 10x16 shed and a 30x16 run for my flock.

I just can't handle them all inside anymore lol

 

[Kiki]

Absolutely..
they are usually "born" outside...right?

 

[ChanLillie]

Yes, lol that's what I was thinking. I just wanted to make sure other people do it. I am nervous to lose chicks but I just cannot handle it anymore.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

There is a great thread by @azygous on brooding in the coop as well as in @Blooie 's thread on the mama heat pad. (On mobile, can't find and link them right now). Brooding outside is so nice, whenever possible (electric available) that is the way to go...plus it makes integration a braze when an older flock is also housed in the coop

 

[ChanLillie]

There is a great thread by @azygous on brooding in the coop as well as in @Blooie 's thread on the mama heat pad. (On mobile, can't find and link them right now). Brooding outside is so nice, whenever possible (electric available) that is the way to go...plus it makes integration a braze when an older flock is also housed in the coop

I don't have electricity ran to my coop yet..

 

[RonC]

A lot depends on their age. They must be able to warm themselves if they get chilled. First week is the most critical but you're probably past that if they are getting on your nerves. My latest were brooded outside after the first week but had a heat lamp in one windproof corner so they could "warm up" as needed. As they develop feathers and get older they can regulate their body temps better. 70 at night is too cold without a warm spot till they are at least a month old. You can determine if they are cold by watching them. If they are staying under or near the heat they are too cold. All this applies to chickens, never raised any of the others so seek further advice on them.

 

[ChanLillie]

Yah I guess I need an extension cord and a coop heater then!

 

[RonC]

Be careful with heating in the coop. I just used my heat lamp and had three ways to keep it from falling. It was clamped with a screw through the clamp so it couldn't slip off, the cord was wrapped and tied around a rafter and a chain if all that failed. If you use an electric heater don't heat the whole coop, just one small area and make sure they can't get any bedding into the heater. I don't want to hear about any fires.

 

[ChanLillie]

There's special heaters that just heat the brooder and are meant for coops, they're fire safe. I was thinking of getting one of those.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

There's special heaters that just heat the brooder and are meant for coops, they're fire safe. I was thinking of getting one of those.

Yep. ..between fire hazard and the unnatural heat type in no fan of heat lamps. Natural heat types (brooder plates, mama heat pad, etc) are safer and, imo, healthier for the birds.