Can I keep new chicks outside?

[tori8780]

Hi everyone. We just ordered our chicks from McMurray's hatchery. We waited til now because we had just moved into our house in April and didn't have the coop yet and we figured that if we got them during the summer, we could keep them in our garage in the brooder since it would be warm out. Now I'm worried it will still be too chilly for them because it gets as low as 60 at night. Will they be OK in the garage with a heat lamp? I'm so worried I'm going to mess this all up! Thanks for any advice.

 

[MaineMooseChick]

I got chicks delivered two weeks ago from McMurray. All were alive and very healthy. I decided to brood them right out in my coop (I'm also a new chicky momma). They've done exceptionally well out there, and I live in Maine where nighttime temps drop down into the 40's sometimes even in July! I have a brooder lamp with a 100 watt red reptile bulb and they've been fine. Most days, I open the window in the coop to allow for fresh air because it gets too hot in there, so I think you'll be golden with them in your garage. Mine are two weeks old today. Just make sure they have some fresh air and it doesn't get overly hot in your garage. Use a thermometer on the bottom of your brooder directly under the brooder lamp to be sure the temp there is at least 95 degrees for the first week, then drop by 5 degrees each week (by adjusting the lamp up higher) until you get to 70 degrees. You will know if they are too cold, because they will pile up directly under your brooder light. Luckily, mine never did that...they kind of spread out around the perimeter of the light, although they do huddle together and sleep. But if they are piled on top of each other, then they're too cold.

 

[deejeff442]

i have the opposite problem its 102 here and i dont have the space to keep them inside the rv we live in(we are building a house 100 feet away) anyway the temp in my gararge is 100. i just added a fan and hope the temp comes down. if you get a 125 watt brooder lamp and put it a foot off the floor they should be fine.they will move to where they like it.it is easier to heat than cool i have learned pretty quick. good luck

 

[sbrown]

Yea, they should absolutely be ok in a garage with a heat lamp especially if your low is only 60. I hatched my batch last month outside in my bator and then moved to a brooder with a heat lamp. 250 watt was to hot this time of year. I used a reg 60 watt bulb and they were fine. 3 weeks now and outside in an enclosed chicken tractor type coop.