Chickie brooder temp question

[Blooie]

Cooler, cooler, cooler!! I brood chicks outdoors right in the coop (more precisely the run) with temps in the teens and twenties, no heat lamp (just a heating pad cave) and they absolutely thrive! Exposure to cool temps is very good for them - they feather faster, learn to meet their own comfort needs, and seem stronger much earlier than indoor lamp raised chicks, at least in my experience. You can't go too wrong if you think about how a Mama Hen raises her chicks. They are out and about in all kinds of weather, even at just a few days old, and just run under her if they get scared or for a quick warmup, but they sure don't stay under her for long! The're busy learning how to be chickens, after all! Right now my 3 week olds, even the Silkies, are out in the run with no heat source at all! Good luck!

 

[lazy gardener]

What Blooie said. At 3 weeks, they should be just about done with heat. You've got today to get through, then... hopefully, you have the weekend off??? Try taking away the heat for all day through the weekend, and give them the lamp just at night. Or you could wean them to a cuddle box: a cardboard box, lined with hay or a deep layer of shavings, opening in the front, about 3" from the bottom to let them in/out. The box should be sized to allow them to snuggle in it without being too crowded, but not terribly big either. It will hold their body heat and they should be just fine without any heat at all with their box. You'll have all weekend to play around with this. Be sure that their bedding is deep enough on that cement garage floor (I assume this is your set up) that the cement doesn't wick heat away from their bodies. (ever slept on the ground with just a sleeping bag? If so, you know what I'm talking about!)

Welcome to BYC, BTW. A bit more info, please? What have your day time and night time temps been? How big is your brooder, how many chicks?

Also, when you are asking questions, you are more likely to get a good response if you start a new thread. That way, your info won't get lost in the shuffle of old stuff. Feel free to start new threads!!!!!!

 

[MantyMimi12]

Very helpful advice! Thank you both!

My brooder is 28x70. I have four chicks - Rhode Island Red, Australorp, Wyandotte and Polish. I have already at times turned off the heat lamp. It has been on the cool and rainy side since I moved them to the garage last week, with the exception of last Saturday. Today it is supposed to be in the mid-70's, down to low 60's at night. Tomorrow and Sunday daytime looks like around 80, nighttime in the 60's again.

Last night my husband stapled some garden fending to the door we needed to open to create a cross breeze with the window. It is the type that is on a roll and is made up of square - powder coated metal. So right away this morning I turned off the heat lamp and opened the door and window. Of course, but the time I was ready to go to work I was sure that there was going to be some animal that could tear open the fencing and get at my girls

Do we ever become more relaxed about our chickens?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I'm not sure if this is the place to post this or not, since you are talking about brooders and temperatures. I started my 4 chicks in a brooder in the house that they outgrew. Last week, when they were three weeks old, I moved them into a larger brooder in the garage, which I thought was going to be great! It was, until we hit a hot day last weekend. I ended up having to open the one screened window in the garage, the side door and the overhead door to get enough air flowing.

My husband I and both work, so we have to make temperature decisions in the morning. My general question is this: is it better for the chicks to be a little cooler, without a heat lamp to warm them, than it is for them to be hot and not have any air flow? They are two weeks out from moving to their coop, and I will be glad when that happens!

Thank you so much for your help!

Better to be cooler than hot.
A little cooler just makes them feather out faster while too hot causes pasty butt and heat stress can bring on cocci and other problems.
I've never in my entire checked the temperature in a brooder. I use a regular light bulb in the hood. If they get cold they stand under it, if they get hot they go to the other end of the brooder.
I just put some still fuzzy 2-3 weeks olds in the outside brooder cage today. Didn't hook up a light but it's pretty warm here. Course I'll check them tonight to see if they still need the light, but I'm pretty sure they won't.