Changing brooder location during the day?

[JulieCB]

New chicken enthusiasts here, had hoped to start our adventure with older chicks/pullets but due to scarcity this year it looks like we will be raising chicks. The current plan is to pick them up next weekend when they will be 5-6 days old. It is early June in Central Virginia where daytime temps are in the 70's and 80's, nighttime in the 60's. I have a plastic bin/screen top brooder and a heating plate that I will use at first. Here's what I am hoping to do and I'd appreciate advice/feedback. The chicks will spend nights in a windowless room in our basement in the brooder or cardboard box with heat plate. During the day I'd like to move them to my screen porch (bottom half is walled in which will limit drafts) into a large dog pen (with heating plate still available) to provide more visual stimulation, exposure to daylight and interactions with family (and to keep some of the dust outside). Then they'll go back into the other brooder at bedtime. Does this sound safe and reasonable for the chicks? Many thanks.

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi Julie, welcome to BYC and chicken keeping. Your current temps are perfect for brooding those chicks right in the screened porch, no moving necessary. They'll go under the heat plate if they're cold and get used to outside temps just as they would if they were under a mama hen instead.
Good luck with your new flock!