Brooder in Garage with Mama Heating Pad for Spring Chicks SE PA

[DuckDuckSook]

If you are worried the space is too large, it's really easy to add a divider made from a piece of cardboard to reduce their accessible space for the first couple days. That's essentially what I am doing with the pop door being closed. They have their food and water less than a foot from the heat, they don't have to go far at first to get all their needs met.

Great idea! Thanks! I ended up getting a new chick to replace the one who died and they are all thriving. I also moved the brooder into my basement. It's warmer and less drafty than our garage.

 

[NatJ]

I will sometimes have the lamp very low at night for freezing temps, but by 10 am that is way too hot and I raise it up. Just monitor and they'll do great

If you want to save effort, just make the brooder larger and leave the lamp at the "night" level. As long as the brooder has enough cool area, the chicks can move themselves away from the lamp in the daytime to avoid overheating. I find an oversized brooder to be much easier than trying to fine tune the temperature in a smaller brooder.

(Note, this especially works well with a heat lamp, because the light attracts chicks to it when they are cold. An over-large brooder may not work as well with heat plates or mama heating pads, especially in the first days when the chicks are still learning what is where.)

 

[debid]

It really isn't a matter of one way is universally better, it's more like you should match the tools to the job. You simply don't need a high wattage lamp for 4-6 chicks. 25? Absolutely! Meat birds? Go bulb. But a little box in your home? Brooder plate or MHP so nobody gets cooked.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

If you want to save effort, just make the brooder larger and leave the lamp at the "night" level. As long as the brooder has enough cool area, the chicks can move themselves away from the lamp in the daytime to avoid overheating. I find an oversized brooder to be much easier than than trying to fine tune the temperature in a smaller brooder.

(Note, this especially works well with a heat lamp, because the light attracts chicks to it when they are cold. An over-large brooder may not work as well with heat plates or mama heating pads, especially in the first days when the chicks are still learning what is where.)

Good idea! That sounds easier. We only have a small brooder right now but maybe this is something I would consider building in the future.