Moving chicks from warm house to cold barn...

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

They have a brooder plate and they do go under it to get warm from time to time (and they're still sleeping under it), but after the first few days I've never caught them all under it at the same time when it was daylight.

I used dual heat with a Big Red Bulb and the plate for most of the first week because we're having a late and unusually cold spring.

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For the first 2 weeks I divide my huge brooder so that they don't get lost too far from their food and water.

As long as they have a place where it's warm enough and know to go there when they need to they don't have to have the entire brooder heated. In fact, it helps them acclimate and grow feathers rapidly.

I will say, however, that my usually issue with chicks is keeping them cool enough. I've already had 85F afternoons.

That’s great to know. This isn’t THE source I used but it’s basically what I have followed but hearing what you do sounds much more natural

 

[chanceosunshine]

Some heat plates aren’t useable below 50° ambient temp, so double check the instructions. Hopefully they figure it out! That’s a bit cool for my nerves at that age, but I’m a worrier. We lost an older chick to piling when we moved them out and I’ve lost a bit of my nerve, usually we’ve had no trouble and the younger group was fine

Everyone is fine this morning, but I will check to see if the heat plate has a range. It was warm and seemed to be working just fine.

I snuck out with a flash light to try to catch what they were doing so I'm pretty sure they planned to go through the night that way.

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s great to know. This isn’t THE source I used but it’s basically what I have followed but hearing what you do sounds much more natural

Those are the commonly referenced numbers. And it TRULY IS important to start shipped chicks off really warm -- because their body temperatures drop during shipping and a brooder plate may not be able to bring them back up out of it. A number of people have learned this the hard way by having chicks die from it.

But many people here have found that the progression given is too slow and have adopted a method more like a broody hen with the one really warm spot and access to ambient temperatures (well-protected from drafts).

Keeping the entire brooder up at the usually-recommended temperatures seems to cause pasty butt.

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Those are the commonly referenced numbers. And it TRULY IS important to start shipped chicks off really warm -- because their body temperatures drop during shipping and a brooder plate may not be able to bring them back up out of it. A number of people have learned this the hard way by having chicks die from it.

But many people here have found that the progression given is too slow and have adopted a method more like a broody hen with the one really warm spot and access to ambient temperatures (well-protected from drafts).

Keeping the entire brooder up at the usually-recommended temperatures seems to cause pasty butt.

Our new 20+ chicks coming next week will be in a newly remodeled 9x7 coop so do I need to bother buying large wardrobe boxes for them or should I let them be free and just hang my light. Is 9x7 too large for new chicks or will that be ok?? Picture is blue current coop with 3 hens (4x16 foot enclosed run attached) and the purple playhouse will be for the new larger flock

 

[3KillerBs]

Our new 20+ chicks coming next week will be in a newly remodeled 9x7 coop so do I need to bother buying large wardrobe boxes for them or should I let them be free and just hang my light. Is 9x7 too large for new chicks or will that be ok?? Picture is blue current coop with 3 hens (4x16 foot enclosed run attached) and the purple playhouse will be for the new larger flock

I'd probably try to keep them in a smaller space for the first week -- or at least until you know for sure that they're eating and drinking and know where there heat is. Can you rig up any sort of temporary barrier around the place you'll be hanging the lamp?

They sell this stuff:

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/brinsea-chick-brooder-enclosure-panel-pack-of-8

https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Broo...id=1651151700&sprefix=chick+br,aps,905&sr=8-5

https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/brooder_guard.html

Or you could cut up boxes from the grocery store and assemble your own with shipping tape.

When I got 26 from Welp last year I gave them the entire 4x8 brooder after just a week because they looked crowded in the 4x4 space.

I've found that my babies use their entire brooder as soon as they have access.