Brooder: Is a porch ok for new chicks? (temperature?)

[Graytalon]

Hello. My husband and I are new to the forum and this is our first time raising chickens. I hope someone can help with a few questions. The first one is about raising chicks on a porch.

We thought we would not be able to get chicks until the summer because the Bielefelders were all booked up until then. But to our surprise, a group became available a couple of days ago. Originally we'd been thinking of having 8 or so chicks but there was a 25 minimum order and they'lll be here early this week. With no notice I think we're doing ok on having the essentials covered. Our biggest concern is that our house is small and we have 25 newborn chicks on the way. We have a screened in porch we were going to use for them. We purchased two of the flat panel adjustable warming brooders to help keep them warm. (We didn't like what we read about the heat lamps with regards to fire.) We are putting up plastic on the inside of the porch to help with insulation (probably leaving the top foot open for humidity ventilation). We'll have the chick brooder (thick cardboard watermellon boxs) raised off of the porch floor using pallets and putting some insulation below. We can use the pine bedding and place paper towels over it for the first few days so chicks can find their way around easily. I can have a small house heater on the porch too. I went looking to find information about this and saw some videos from some well known Youtube Homesteaders who have outdoor brooders. So we thought this would work fine. The only differences I noticed were that their shed type buildings had a dirt floor with walls, and they used a heat lamp. But I'm outside working today and it feels cold. Our temps in Alabama for this week will be 51 degrees Farenheight at night, 60-70 in the daytime. Beliefelders are supposed to be rather cold hardy but I'm very inexperienced in this area. Does anyone have any thoughts for me? We appreciate the help.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

Yes! They will do great! I would test with a thermometer in the warmest part of the coop to make sure they have the desired temperature (a good practice even with indoor brooders). I brood my chicks/ducklings out in my barn (no heating/insulation) I got some a few weeks ago in the middle of a snowstorm. Single digits at night and mid 20s during the day. Once the ducklings were even too hot and I had to move the heater up . With outdoor brooders the biggest problem is predators so as long as the brooder is secure you should do fine. Good luck with your chicks! You're going to love raising chickens!

 

[Ridgerunner]

We have a screened in porch we were going to use for them.

Dad brooded chicks on an open back porch, no screen or anything, and they were OK. He used a cardboard box and and incandescent bulb. This was more than 60 years ago. Raccoons, dogs, foxes, coyotes, and such can rip through that porch screen so predators are a risk. There are lots of things that can happen, you never know what will. A screen porch should be safer than Dad's open back porch but you never know.

We purchased two of the flat panel adjustable warming brooders to help keep them warm.

Sounds like heat plates. Not sure how big yours are but can probably handle 25 chicks. I have no experience with heat plates.

I can have a small house heater on the porch too.

I don't know what that looks like but several decades back a neighbor burned her shed down with a space heater. Any time you use electricity you run risks, either fire or shock. So be careful.

The only differences I noticed were that their shed type buildings had a dirt floor with walls, and they used a heat lamp.

I use a heat lamp too. I use wire (chain works) to firmly hold it in place, I remove the clamp so I'm not even tempted to use it. I figure this takes away the vast majority of fire risk. I figure how you set them up has a lot more to do with fire risk than what you use. Don't get anything flammable near that heater and watch for issues with water. You have those heat plates, use them.

Does anyone have any thoughts for me?

To me the perfect brooder provides a warm spot in the coldest of conditions and a cool spot in the warmest conditions. I've put chicks in my brooder in the coop straight from the incubator or post office, even when the outside temperature was below freezing. I keep one end toasty even when the far end has ice in it. You don't have to keep the whole porch warm, just provide a place warm enough and a place cool enough. Broody hens can raise chicks with snow on the ground, just giving the chicks a place to go to warm up when they need it.

I don't know how well those heat plates will handle your temperature swings. To me that's the hardest part of brooding outside, managing temperature swings. I've seen it go from below freezing to in the 70's F almost overnight. I don't know how much need you have for that house heater. Be careful with it, that worries me more than a properly installed heat lamp would.

Have you set it up yet? How much room do those heat plates take up? You may need to tape two watermelon boxes together to get a brooder big enough to also have room for food and water.

What you are talking about is certainly doable. Watch your chicks and see what they tell you about how they are doing. Crowding under the heat all the time says they are cold, though don't be surprised if they sleep in a warm spot. Trying to get as far from the heat as they can says it's too hot. I haven't used heat plates so no experience with them but trust your chicks and what they tell you more than anything you read on here.

Good luck.

 

[Graytalon]

I'm pleased that it sounds doable. We've almost got everything all set up. Thank you very much for your replies.

 

[Graytalon]

Thanks again for all of the replies, especially bringing my attention to the idea of a heater not being a good one. We aren't using it. Everything was ready for them.

We lost the two smallest ones. I don't think it was due to anything we did. But the rest of them seem to be doing very well, even zooming around the brooder. Chickens are fun.

 

[DougVC]

We have used bit heat plates and the lamps. Will never go back to the lamp. The heat plates will work just fine outside in cold temps as you are seeing. The only benefit we saw with the lamp over the plates is you can’t see your chicks at all times under the plate so if one is getting squished by the others or something like that you need to move the heat plate to check on them. But the reduced fire risk and the not needing to be moving the lamp up and down to find the right spot so the brooder stays the right temp was a big win for the heat plate.

 

[Ridgerunner]

not needing to be moving the lamp up and down to find the right spot so the brooder stays the right temp was a big win for the heat plate.

That can be a problem. The way I solve this with a heat lamp, especially brooding outside with huge temperature swings, is to have a brooder big enough so that the area at the heat lamp stays warm enough in the coldest weather and the area further away stays cool enough in the warmest weather. I don't try to keep the entire brooder the right temperature. You can manage that inside the house in a climate controlled area a lot easier than outside where the temperature can go from below freezing to the 70's F almost overnight.

I wire my heat lamp in place so it can't fall, I don't trust that clamp at all. To me with my set-up I'm not that concerned with fire risk, no more than with any heat source. Another advantage when brooding in temperatures below freezing is that I can put my water near the heat lamp and it doesn't freeze.

Don't get me wrong. I think heat plates, heating pads, emitters, hovers, wooly hens, and other methods to provide heat can work really well and be safe as long as they are set up properly and used in the right conditions. The trick is getting to the right conditions. That's where details come in.