Brooder Plate and Unheated Garage

[SeeRoe]

I would think the plate wouldn't stop working below 50F, just that below that the radiant heat wouldn't be sufficient to keep the day old chicks comfortable. My thoughts were that at 3 weeks (maybe?) they have enough feathers and mass to stay warm where at day old they don't.

 

[SeeRoe]

Check the specs on your heater plate. It will probably have info on the necessary ambient temperature needed for it to keep the chicks warm enough. In other words, below a certain temp, it might not "keep up."

It says >50F, but I assume that's for baby chicks. At what age can the brooder plate "keep up" with the cooler temps when considering older birds?