Brooding in unheated building?

[GSCforester]

I had planned on brooding in the house, until I read a post on the dust. So, will the heat lamp keep them warm enough in an unheated outbuilding with lows in the teens at night?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you set it up, put a thermometer in there and let it stabilize, you can answer that question a lot better than we can.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Yes. You simply build a small, little building-box-brooder inside the big building. That's the easiest way to describe it.

If the "box" is stout, and you have means by which you can cover most of top, allow for some air exchange, of course, and you safely locate you heating bulb(s), then you're good. Folks do this all the time, including yours truly.

Build your brooder. Set up your lamps. Place a thermometer inside and run a test days before your chicks arrive. You'll like find, that under the light(s) you can easily maintain your desired temperature. First week 90, next week 85, etc.

Although, be careful to provide cooler, out of the direct heat, areas of your brooder for the chicks to escape to. An unexpected warm front moves in, and you could have too much heat.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

use a cover on most of it and have it insulated, i've done it ahd the chicks where healther than house brooded chicks, they can handle colder temps than most think, if you watch a hen with chicks even in cold weather the chicks run around till they get cold and mama let them back under. having a warm spot and a cooler spot in the brooder works, just keep out drafts thats the chick killer