How cold is too cold to start chicks?

[Goaldielocks]

Cold weather chicken question for ya'll. We've been raising chickens for 5 years now, moving batches in and out filling the freezer and egg cartons. For the first time, we are without due to an hen on hen massacre. Anywho, I want to start chicks again, but I have been waiting because its freezing here. We've never raised babies in this cold weather. We have 2 outside coops. We have a brinsea ecoglow warmer for them as well as heat lamps. Will this be enough heat? I am thinking 25 chicks the warmer is technically for 20 chicks. The temps here are 30's in the day and teens at night. I need to start them soon. Does anyone else start in cold weather? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Tamara119]

As long as the chicks have a constant heat source that they can get to anytime, they'll be fine. I had a hen raise chicks during the winter, and one day when we had snow they were out on the snow. They cannot spend a lot of time away from their mother or a heat source when it's that cold, but they're fine as long as they can warm up. Chicks are a lot tougher than we think. They only issue would be if all of your heat sources are electrical and you're in an area prone to electrical cuts. I've raised incubator chicks too (during a cold spring), and had them outside from about day 3 or 4. They run and play in their run and then scoot back under the lamp to warm up. The colder it is the more frequent their heat lamp visits! Yours should be fine with the warmer and the heat lamp.