Brooding Without Heat

[Sparky74]

I live in Australia, currently in Grafton, NSW, and we enjoy a relatively mild climate. No snow in this part of Australia and you could probably count on one hand the number of mornings that we get a frost in Winter.

I usually brood chicks without a heat lamp or pad. I use a wool hen constructed from a 4 sided plywood box, about 25cm (10”) square with strips of old wooden blanket hanging down. This sits in the corner of the brooder (an old cot) which is on the veranda.

I don’t usually have any issues with this set up. But…

I put a dozen "rainbow eggs" in the brooder and some hatched yesterday and this morning (day 18 and 19). I’ve removed 5 chicks to the brooder, 2 more have since hatched.

Even though it’s mid-Spring here we’re expecting a cold snap with the temperature expected to drop to 8°C (about 46°F) by 4am. Do you think I should add a heat lamp to the brooder tonight (which is a bit of a pain) or do you think they’ll be fine?

BTW the forecast high for Sunday is 32°C (about 89°F)!

 

[Sparky74]

I’m now thinking that maybe I just pop them back into the incubator when I go to bed tonight. Not that I particularly like opening it while there are still eggs in there. But if I slip them in quickly and try to maintain temperature and humidity hopefully it won't impact the remaining eggs too much.

 

[everyday_farmlife]

Could you just take them inside under a heat lamp for that night?

 

[everyday_farmlife]

I'm super keen to try your wool hen box.
I'm in qld but the temps have been really strange this year we are still getting down to 6-8 degrees and only reaching 18-21 but then the next day it'll be 36

 

[saysfaa]

How many chicks are in the wool hen affects how well it works. Seven aren't very many and that is quite cold... I would add some heat.

It doesn't have to be a heat lamp, though. I used a wool hen and added a couple of hot water bottles at times. They won't stay warm all night but you may prefer getting up a time or two rather than setting up your heat lamp.

 

[Sparky74]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
My wife, who is not an animal person, suggested bringing them inside but I was loath to do so. Then I walked into the garage and discovered it was warmer than the house. This is probably because that’s where the incubator is.
So all 8 chicks are now in a plastic crate in the garage, complete with their wool hen huddle box. I’m confident that they will be fine.
Hopefully the remaining 4 eggs in the incubator hatch. Perhaps they'll do so overnight.

 

[Sparky74]

All 8 chicks seemed happy and comfortable this morning having spent the night in the plastic tub in the (warm) garage without a heat lamp, heat pad, or hot water bottle.
As we were going to bed we noticed another egg was starting to zip so we waited and watched number 9 come into the world. She (they’re all female until they identify as cockerels!) spent the night in the incubator but this morning joined her sisters in the brooder on the veranda.
I’m still holding out hope for the three remaining eggs. It’s only day 21.

 

[Sparky74]

I thought I should report back.
It’s 6am Saturday morning here in the Eastern part of Australia.
The 9th chick hatched at 11pm Thursday. There’s still 3 eggs in the incubator but I don’t really hold out any hope for them.
Thursday night 8 chicks overnighted in a plastic tub in the warm garage with a wool hen huddle box. No heat lamp or heat pad.
Friday morning I put all 9 chicks into the brooder (an old cot) out on the veranda with just the wool hen. Last night (Friday night) temperatures were forecast to drop to 10°C (50°F).
This morning all 9 chicks appear happy and healthy.