Garage heat failed tonight

[Homestead Hackery]

I am brooding my chicks in a heated outbuilding not attached to the garage. I noticed tonight that the temp under the heat lamps was 79F (starting week 2) when it was in the 90’s earlier today. Found out the furnace stopped working. It’sa fuel oil furnace and the thing that talks to the thermostat keeps tripping. I tried a few things and decided to leave it, but I’m not comfortable transporting the chicks inside. -9F forecast tonight. I have a 4x4 3/4” brooder 2 feet high. There are two lamps and a 16x16 heat plate in there. I partially covered the brooder (75% covered-ish) to hold the heat better. I don’t want them to over heat either. I have two thermometers in there and a Nest cam that i can read them. Hopefully i can tell if the temp is stable before i fall asleep . Any thoughts?

-P

 

[Homestead Hackery]

I meant not attached to the house.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They should be fine - if anything, you may have been overheating them as ambient temperatures for 2 week olds can safely be down around 30-40Fs as long as there's no draft (inside a garage that shouldn't be an issue). And that's with just a heat plate.

Since your overnight temps are low and I assume you already had the heat lamps on, go ahead and leave those on, but I would uncover more of the brooder. Ventilation is more important than trying to trap heat, especially in an indoor setting.

 

[Homestead Hackery]

They should be fine - if anything, you may have been overheating them as ambient temperatures for 2 week olds can safely be down around 30-40Fs as long as there's no draft (inside a garage that shouldn't be an issue). And that's with just a heat plate.

Since your overnight temps are low and I assume you already had the heat lamps on, go ahead and leave those on, but I would uncover more of the brooder. Ventilation is more important than trying to trap heat, especially in an indoor setting.

That helps! I am terribly nervous having lost a third of the flock at the start. They seem happy. Why do i read that they need to be 95-105 the first week, then go down 5 degrees each week? Is that just directly under the lamp? There are 21 chicks in the brooder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That helps! I am terribly nervous having lost a third of the flock at the start. They seem happy. Why do i read that they need to be 95-105 the first week, then go down 5 degrees each week? Is that just directly under the lamp? There are 21 chicks in the brooder.

Sorry to hear about the losses, I can understand why you'd be worried. With 21 birds they should be able to huddle quite effectively as you reduce the temperatures, so I don't see any reason they can't handle it, as long as they're all in good health.

As far as the 5 degrees a week, from what I understand that's a recommendation for large commercial flocks. Most of us don't follow that "rule" any longer, same with 95 for first week (which I think is too hot and contributes to pasty butt), so I'd actually recommend starting around 90 with access to cooler areas 80F or lower. Just something to consider if you brood more chicks later on.

I brood outdoors so even 2-3 day olds are exposed to ambient temperatures of around high 40s-mid 60s. It hardens them up to cooler temperatures much faster and by around 4 weeks they're off heat and out of the brooder. I've not had any losses doing it that way.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

My rule of thumb is to watch the chicks. If they are huddled up constantly, it's too cold. If they are spread as far away from the heat source as possible, and/or panting with their wings spread off their body, then it's too hot. If they are running around, chattering, eating/drinking, and playing, taking occasional breaks to get warm if necessary, then it's just right.

 

[abpatchy]

Last winter I put my chicks out in the coop. 2 weeks old and no heat in the coop. They had a heating plate and themselfs. I placed the heating plate inside a large cardboard box laying on the side. It keeps them warmer... in contains the warmth. It insulates from the sides top and bottom. We had temps below freezing (oh gosh I was soooooo worried) but you know what? They were fine! I did not lose a single one. As a matter of fact those chicks got their feathers faster than any other chicks that I hatched afterwards.

 

[Homestead Hackery]

Well, it held to 78 this morning in the outer edge of the light. Not sure the ambient temp yet, but would guess around 10 or 15F. They seem happy and are behaving like @TheAlrightyGina said would be good. We have been fighting pasty butt and the feathering has been slow like @abpatchy said. I’m so glad I joined this forum!

 

[MissMonty]

I wouldn't worry as long as its warm directly under the lamp they can go there when they get cold. Based on the photo it looks like it is just right so I wouldn't worry about adding more heat.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

If you're having real trouble with pasty butt, I've found that putting a smear of vaseline around the cloaca helps prevent the waste from sticking. Electrolytes in their water will help in the long term (as will apparently ACV), but the vaseline will keep them from having trouble in the meantime.