In-coop brooding

[Stephanie8806]

Hello BYC! I have some questions!

On the very experienced advice of members here, I decided to forgo my plans for a separate brooding coop for this years babies and opted to partition off some area inside the main coop for them to brood from the 2ish week mark on.

Here’s where my questions come in...

Our days are warm. Sunny and around 70. Although windy, the coop has no drafts and sits in sunlight all day, staying warm. The chicks moved up today and within 10 minutes were running around having a ball in their larger space.

On the downside, night temps are cold. Like, they drop to around 36* cold. I have a Ecoglow heat plate, but they didn’t show any interest in it at all. They had a heat lamp in their indoor brooder(due to some shipping AND quality control issues preventing timely delivery ) so they’re used to that.

This evening, I went to check on them and they were all sleeping together in a big happy mass. Not a suffocating pile, but very sweetly cuddled up. The problem was, it was nowhere near the heat source! Fearing the worst, I set up the heat lamp(quite securely), to make sure they would stay warm. With a 38-40* night tonight, I didn’t want them to freeze.

So, here’s my question: Is two-three weeks(varying hatch dates) of age too early for them to survive a night without a heat source, even if they’re cuddled up? At what point will their shared body heat be enough to sustain them in 40-50 degree nights? I will certainly see how this night goes and hopefully they all survive...

i have a red light lamp currently, but have a slightly lower wattage black ceramic bulb I will sub out tomorrow. These are used for reptiles and don’t put out lights

 

[DobieLover]

Hello BYC! I have some questions!

On the very experienced advice of members here, I decided to forgo my plans for a separate brooding coop for this years babies and opted to partition off some area inside the main coop for them to brood from the 2ish week mark on.

Here’s where my questions come in...

Our days are warm. Sunny and around 70. Although windy, the coop has no drafts and sits in sunlight all day, staying warm. The chicks moved up today and within 10 minutes were running around having a ball in their larger space.

On the downside, night temps are cold. Like, they drop to around 36* cold. I have a Ecoglow heat plate, but they didn’t show any interest in it at all. They had a heat lamp in their indoor brooder(due to some shipping AND quality control issues preventing timely delivery ) so they’re used to that.

This evening, I went to check on them and they were all sleeping together in a big happy mass. Not a suffocating pile, but very sweetly cuddled up. The problem was, it was nowhere near the heat source! Fearing the worst, I set up the heat lamp(quite securely), to make sure they would stay warm. With a 38-40* night tonight, I didn’t want them to freeze.

So, here’s my question: Is two-three weeks(varying hatch dates) of age too early for them to survive a night without a heat source, even if they’re cuddled up? At what point will their shared body heat be enough to sustain them in 40-50 degree nights? I will certainly see how this night goes and hopefully they all survive...

i have a red light lamp currently, but have a slightly lower wattage black ceramic bulb I will sub out tomorrow. These are used for reptiles and don’t put out lights

If they want to huddle together for the night, set up a huddle box that will help trap their body heat. Lay a box on it's side and cut off the side flaps leaving just the top flap hanging down. Put a nice thick layer of bedding in it and tuck it into a draft free corner or wherever they piled up the last night. That should be sufficient for them to stay warm.

You could also get a large enough box for the brooder plate and the pile of chicks to fit and put that into the back corner of the box for additional heat even if none of them want to get under it. Just put the legs up high enough that it stays well out of the bedding.

 

[Aapomp831]

I’m doing exactly what you’re doing - my 2 week old chicks are outside in a brooder shed right now - my husband checked on them last night and they were also all huddled together, away from the heat. They were fine; looked up completely disinterested so we just left them. If your chicks are huddled and chirping very loudly, then they are too cold. But if they’re huddled together and sleeping peacefully, then they are fine. I’ve been raising chicks for 5 years now and I no longer obsess over heat. I’ve never met a chick who needed the amount of heat recommended by people. There is a heat lamp out there, and if they’re cold they’ll go to it. Yours will do the same - just provide a warmer area as an option. But if they’re not expressing distress, then all is well.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Thank you both so much! That’s super encouraging! I’ve never integrated new chicks outdoors this young before so this part is super new to me. I usually wait until the 6 week mark. I was terrified of going out in the morning and finding dead chicks.

Seeing as the top is covered with Plywood, I’ll definitely cut a few pieces of cardboard to put on a few of the open sides at night to help trap heat. Their bedding is already pretty thick, nice and fluffy pine shavings. Adding the cardboard to help trap a little heat is such a good idea.

Thanks so much again!!!

 

[McChooky]

Thank you both so much! That’s super encouraging! I’ve never integrated new chicks outdoors this young before so this part is super new to me. I usually wait until the 6 week mark. I was terrified of going out in the morning and finding dead chicks.

Seeing as the top is covered with Plywood, I’ll definitely cut a few pieces of cardboard to put on a few of the open sides at night to help trap heat. Their bedding is already pretty thick, nice and fluffy pine shavings. Adding the cardboard to help trap a little heat is such a good idea.

Thanks so much again!!!

I put 1 week old chicks out in an uninsulated 4 x 6 coop when temps were still in the 20's and 30's at night because their brooder was just too small. They were given a self warming heat pad made using foil backed bubble wrap tucked inside a pillow case that I washed daily .I also provided them a large plastic tote flipped upside down and open on one side. The heat emitter I used was 150 watts.I hung at the same level as the top of the tote.The tote trapped the heat. My chicks had access to a predator proof run at 4 weeks of age during the day daily getting fresh air and had a blast in 50 degree weather (1/2" hardware cloth on top and bottom and sides)I won't tell you I wasn't scared some nights or that I didnt check on them often but they'll will let you know if they're cold (they'll chirp their little heads off)If they are huddled together and peeping softly they are just fine.