brooding chicks in coop with 50 degree temps at night?

[andread]

The question is for you all that brood in the coop.
I really wanted to do coop brooding from day one and skip the miserable introduction when they are full grown.
I love the idea that the hens will watch them grow and not hate them quite so much making integration easier when they are a bit bigger. I have a dog crate that is all ready to go with cardboard sides.
I used the mama heating pad method last year and loved it so I plan to do that again.
However May weather is not cooperating and it is cold! the 10 day has highs in the mid 60s and lows in the 50s but the next couple of days are getting to 48 at night, this is unusual for us.
should i wait a couple of weeks or will the mama heat pad be ok?
i also could brood in the garage for a week but the garage is only 51 right now. so would mama heat pad work or should I go full heat lamp?
this is assuming I can even get chicks as they sell out as soon as they get to TSC, lol!

 

[Cindy in PA]

You should be fine. I have 7-week-olds that have been in the coop since day 1 under a brooder plate. I am in SE PA & in early April I had temps in the mid 20s at night with highs only in the mid 30s. This is as cold as I have had yet since brooding in the coop. They have been fully feathered for at least 2 weeks & never missed a beat when the cold kept coming back. Nights in the 40s or 50s should be no problem.

 

[andread]

You should be fine. I have 7-week-olds that have been in the coop since day 1 under a brooder plate. I am in SE PA & in early April I had temps in the mid 20s at night with highs only in the mid 30s. This is as cold as I have had yet since brooding in the coop. They have been fully feathered for at least 2 weeks & never missed a beat when the cold kept coming back. Nights in the 40s or 50s should be no problem.

thank you!