brooding my chicks in the shed?

[mistyfeather]

im FINALY getting my chicks this weekend!!!!!!

im planing on brooding them in my shed out back. i have large 4'x4' wooden crate to use as a brooder pen/box . i will have a light on during the day but as colorado is realy cold at the moment i was woundering how many heat lamps i should have on them to keep them warm enough? i have a small heater i can put out their to at night if it gets realy cold. we will be getting 12-16chicks.

 

[sherrydeanne]

Set it up and see how many lamps you need to get it to 95. I'd honestly keep them in the house in a large storage bin or cardboard box until they outgrow that, at least the first two weeks when they're tiny. Running a heater and all those lamps seems much harder.

 

[chixie]

I always brood my chicks in the house

 

[farmerlor]

I'm in Colorado (6800 feet) and unless your shed is really air tight, free of drafts, boy, I don't know if I'd put those babies out there or not just yet. 12 to 16 babies don't put out a lot of heat on their own, 30 would be better to keep each other warm but then I can't "see" your shed either. If you have a really nice one that's dry and tight and you put some nice walls up to hold in the heat a heat lamp may be all you need. Check 'em often. They'll tell you if they're too cold or too warm and you can adjust the situation accordingly. Have an extra heat lamp or two just in case.
I keep my babies in a brooder in the garage this time of year. We have a little room that we built inside the garage almost like a big closet. When the babies first go in they go in a big trough with the heat lamp hanging low. Warm water with cider vinegar and some warm yogurt mixed in with their baby food keeps them pretty cozy. About week three I take them out of the trough to give them more room to run around and then they can decide on whether they want to be under the heat (which by now has been moved up about a foot) or not. Gotta keep them nice and dry and clean too.
Good luck!

 

[MissAnnieFrannie]

I am also planning on brooding my chicks in the shed, but our shed is insulated and wired completely for electricity...It is often warmer in there than in the house! It is the safest place I can think of, as my cat has been known to be VERY creative when it comes to getting things that you are just sure he would be unable to reach

.

 

[19hhbelgian]

PLEASE brood them in the house... Take advice from someone who learned the worst way possible. Hubby didn't want chickens in the house, then the heat lamp went out overnight for unknown reasons (bulb was fine, plug was in socket - couldn't duplicate problem). I had my first cuckoo polish chick from my birds and his buddy in the box. In the morning I went out and found them

Needless to say, my babies are now in the house until it's warm enough that they'd be ok if something like that would happen again.

 

[mistyfeather]

my shed is dry and draft free, usualy abit warmer then our garage. i was thinking of putting cardboard up on the edges of the brooder box to hold the heat around the babies better. i would keep them in the house but my jack russel will probably think that they are funy looking mice and try to eat them untill they get bigger, he is great with small animals but i think they are to mouse size-ish

he thinks mice are snacks.

 

[mistyfeather]

Quote:
i was thinking a bout a big rubermaid tub in the house for ther 1st week home. but i dont want them to become little snacks for my dog, i dont think he will try and eat them but i dont want to chance it. if he tryies to play with them he may acidently hurt them

 

[MissAnnieFrannie]

Quote:
Well, my biggest concern is how to keep my mammoth cat out of the brooder. have you had any issue with keeping your indoor pets out of the brooder? I have a wireless mini cam with night vision and such for the brooder in the shed, and a baby moniter (lol i am that crazy) so i thought they would be better off out there

now I am second guessing!!!

 

[mistyfeather]

well for added warmth like one person said more chicks are better!

mabie i just get to buy more babies

i love babies! well i just got a very nice heater (i work at lowes so i get agood discount!) it says it can heat a lrge room, my husband said it should heat the shed just fine. so ime going to get everything preset up this week an run everything like the chicks are already in there and see how the temps hold up, i figuer 3-4 temp readings at night and the same during the day should give me a good idea as to how it will work out.

it is a VERY well built shed ........ if it works it would definately make a great brooding area, its built so well i dont even get mice in there!