Expecting 19F Saturday Night so I'm Nervous -- Advice Wanted.

[3KillerBs]

4:50am EDT. 23F.

I saw movement at the edge of the brooder plate when the chicks heard me so I didn't disturb them further.

70F under the lamp, so that alone wouldn't have done the job.

 

[3KillerBs]

I managed to get a photo of chicks snuggled into the warm brooder plate:

 

[Poodlemum]

My heat lamp is getting down to the 50s over night, do you think I should grab the brooder plate for my 3-4 weekers? The only issue is I can’t run both at once

 

[3KillerBs]

My heat lamp is getting down to the 50s over night, do you think I should grab the brooder plate for my 3-4 weekers? The only issue is I can’t run both at once

I'm not qualified to say. I'm running both at once these last couple bitter-cold nights.

 

[springvalley123]

My heat lamp is getting down to the 50s over night, do you think I should grab the brooder plate for my 3-4 weekers? The only issue is I can’t run both at once

If it's been reaching the 50's under the heat lamp lately, vs just for one unusually cold night, they've probably been acclimated to those temps. I wouldn't switch to a plate because most of those plates are only good for ambient room temps down to about 50, and without the heat lamp, the ambient temps will be much lower than that. You could do many of the other suggestions earlier in this thread, to provide more protection from drafts, insulation with cardboard, bales of shavings, etc. though.

 

[3KillerBs]

If it's been reaching the 50's under the heat lamp lately, vs just for one unusually cold night, they've probably been acclimated to those temps. I wouldn't switch to a plate because most of those plates are only good for ambient room temps down to about 50, and without the heat lamp, the ambient temps will be much lower than that. You could do many of the other suggestions earlier in this thread, to provide more protection from drafts, insulation with cardboard, bales of shavings, etc. though.

Yes, that's what I have in place for this cold snap -- the lamp keeping the area warm enough for the brooder plate to work.

 

[Brooks_]

Yes, that's what I have in place for this cold snap -- the lamp keeping the area warm enough for the brooder plate to work.

Did you cold snap pass. Mine was just that one night, but unexpected. As cold as any winter night in mid-March?!

 

[3KillerBs]

Did you cold snap pass. Mine was just that one night, but unexpected. As cold as any winter night in mid-March?!

We had 2 nights of it, Saturday night and Sunday night. Saturday night may have been the coldest night of the entire winter.

Tonight will be back to normal weather at ~40F.

I was amazed how quickly they learned to scoot under the brooder plate -- they've made a little hollow place in their shavings underneath to be cozy in.

 

[TraceyG61]

I have 7 chicks, 6 that hatched Tuesday and one straggler from Wednesday in my 4x8, Outdoor Brooder.

View attachment 3021260

Last night was down around 40F and the lamp kept the spot right under it about 90-95F with it as low as I feel safe putting it.

View attachment 3021262

They weren't complaining, but they were cuddled pretty tightly. I don't know that this setup is going to be good for 20 degrees colder -- I'm used to coping with excessive heat, not chicks below freezing -- so I'm looking for advice.

Should I add a second lamp if the extension will take the draw safely?

Should I do something to confine them more closely and reflect heat back? Close off some of my 16 square feet of ventilation (could be easier said than done given the design)?

Should I bring them inside those two nights?

Saturday night is forecast to be down to 19F, Sunday down to 29 (days in the 50's), then the temps will rise back to 40F or above. 19F is a very unusual cold snap for us at this time of year.

I know some people brood outdoors in this kind of weather but I don't know how the setup differs.

We live in Minnesota. Used a heat lamp and poultry heating pad under the bedding. They all snuggled in nicely when temps dropped under 40. When it got colder we added another heat lamp. They are all over two years now and going great.

 

[DramaBrahmaMama]

How did everyone fare? And what did you end up doing?