Heat bulb is blown. How cold can the chicks survive for tonight?

[WoodChic]

Our heat bulb is blown or something like that. It won't work. Anyway, will the chicks be ok for tonight? It is supposed to get down to 66 and it is very humid. And it's supposed to rain, so I don't know if that will cool it off more then the forecast says.

The brooder is outside in a large shed with a large open doorway. There are 15 chicks and they are about a month old. It is a big brooder. Anybody?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

At a month old, they are feathered out on the body, so they can huddle to keep warm, but a regular house bulb will give off some heat, so.... rob a lamp of it's bulb.

 

[azygous]

Hey! Not a problem! Fill up several gallon or half gallon milk jugs with hot water and place them in the brooder. (make sure the tops are secured nice and tight!)

That's what I did last winter with my chickens in their coop when it would get down below zero. It creates a heat sink and keeps the temp well above whatever the weather wants to do outside!

 

[CoopCrazy]

Do you not have just a plain old 75 or 10 watt bulb??? I agree they could be ok but if they do get cold then they may smother eachother.. There is nothing sadder then finding a squished baby at the bottom of pile of chicks because the lil one was just trying to get warm...

 

[Smoky73]

do NOT use an energy saver bulb (one of those spiral things) they do not put out any heat. Just a standard 75-100 watt light bulb is fine.

 

[WoodChic]

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Sounds good, I think I will do that!

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I am going to go check on them to see if they are huddling.

I think I will put a milk jug of hot water in there like azygous says, cause dead chicks are no fun.

Thanks so much for the advice everyone!

 

[Egg_newton]

In the summer we only use a 75 watt bulb because they got too hot with a heat lamp. And at 4 weeks they should be old enough to be ok through the night.

 

[WoodChic]

Well we don't have any milk jugs, so I filled an empty Sprite bottle, and a grape juice bottle with really hot water and set them out there. The chicks appeared to be fine. They were all spread out, with some on the roosts. So I think they should be fine.

The Sprite bottle smelled kinda like burnt plastic once I filled it with hot water. We have a good hot water heater.

 

[Kittymomma]

Mine were in a 4x4 dog kennel with an Igloo doghouse (lots of shavings in it) for shelter at that age in similar weather conditions and they did just fine. A coyote got the momma hen when they were 2-weeks old so I brought them inside (house temp. but no extra light) for a week and they were back outside with no light at 3 1/2 weeks old. As long as they're in a draft free spot they should be fine.

 

[WoodChic]

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Our brooder is very open.... 4x3x2 with a lattice-work lid covered with chicken wire. They do appear to be fine this morning though. I will try and borrow a heat lamp from our neighbor until we can but another one.