Can I put chicks outside in these temps?

[jreardon1918]

Several of us brood in the coop straight out of the incubator or from the post office even if the outside temperature is below freezing. As long as you can keep a spot warm enough in the coldest temperatures and a spot cool enough in the warmest temperatures it works great. If you set up the Mama Heating Pad correctly it can work.

I assume you have read this thread.

Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

As stated above, with the MHP, outdoors for even the first few days in very cold weather is a good option. I moved chicks just a few days old outside with an MHP outside the last three broods. Every chick thrived. And integration at 4 weeks was a breeze.

Good Luck.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The reason I started this thread was because they didn’t seem to be needing the heat as much as I read they would.

Excellent! You are watching them and observing what they do. And you are asking questions based on what you see. That is a great way to learn and be successful instead of just reading something on the internet and accepting it.

That "start them at 90F, 95F, or 100F (depends on which article you read) and dropping it by 5F per week" is all over this forum. That is a guideline intended to keep you safe even if your conditions are less than perfect. It's not that bad if you are talking about a warm spot for the chicks to go to when they need to warm up. But if you watch a broody hen raise chicks in colder weather you soon realize they do not need those warm temperatures everywhere. They go under her to warm up when they need to. And you soon notice they sleep out from under the broody (some of mine sleep next to her) or away from the heat in a brooder much younger than that formula predicts.

Many guidelines on here are overkill, much more than you actually need. But they are intended to keep you safe even if your conditions are not great.

 

[KRack]

Wanted to update! The chicks have spent 2 successful nights outside in their coop. Got down to 27F last night, and they’re out running around this morning.

 

[RoyalChick]

Excellent! You are watching them and observing what they do. And you are asking questions based on what you see. That is a great way to learn and be successful instead of just reading something on the internet and accepting it.

That "start them at 90F, 95F, or 100F (depends on which article you read) and dropping it by 5F per week" is all over this forum. That is a guideline intended to keep you safe even if your conditions are less than perfect. It's not that bad if you are talking about a warm spot for the chicks to go to when they need to warm up. But if you watch a broody hen raise chicks in colder weather you soon realize they do not need those warm temperatures everywhere. They go under her to warm up when they need to. And you soon notice they sleep out from under the broody (some of mine sleep next to her) or away from the heat in a brooder much younger than that formula predicts.

Many guidelines on here are overkill, much more than you actually need. But they are intended to keep you safe even if your conditions are not great.

And even without a broody hen, mine have sometimes slept with only their little fluffy butts under the plate and most of their body outside.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I currently have 5 four week olds and a two week old in the outdoor brooder. I put the little one outside at a day old, just like I did the others. Well, technically they were three days, because I waited until everyone had hatched.

At the moment they're not using the heater at night. They all sleep in a pile with the little one at the center. She gets cold, she just burrows in. She also treats the older chicks as mama hen and snuggles in under whoever is closest.