Need help ASAP Please!!!!!

[lazy gardener]

Do a thread search for a "huddle box". At 4 weeks, they should be fine with a huddle box. How many? The more birds there are, the more heat they have to share among themselves.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

High 50's and lows in 40's isn't all that bad for four week old chicks. That's the temp and age I turn them out to coop in spring. We brood in an unheated garage and wean them from heat lamp the week before going to coop.

How far from civilization do you live? I'm in the sticks (Northeast Kingdom of Vermont) yet still have feeds stores 30 minutes away and a hardware store that should have 125w white light heat bulb five miles away. I'm curious how you can be so rural you can't make it to town for a week but still have electricity.

 

[jc_d1]

Not super far from civilization, more so hubby's away with the only car

 

[lazy gardener]

Yep, that would do it! I am 1/2 hour from civilization, and do have a truck available. However, b/c of financial concerns, and hate of wasted time, and dealing with shopping, I choose not to go out unless I can combine multiple errands. Need a single item... nope! I'm not gonna do the drive! I'll do without unless it's an absolute necessity.

 

[Mrs. Nutmeg Peahen]

I built and outdoor brooder cage that I put hay in the bottom of when the chicks are small and I put broken down cardboard boxes all around the insides while they are small also. No drafts that way. any incandescent bulb will give them heat. A blanket over them helps but is not really draft free. the drafts seem to bother the little ones. by four weeks they should be able to stand a little bit of a temp drop. You could give them warm water also.

 

[azygous]

LG, me too. I detest dragging myself off my mountain to face the prospect of walking down narrow aisles and being bombarded by aggressive marketing. I have to go "slay the beast" this morning and am dreading it. I only go to town twice a month.

Back to the topic. If you haven't heard of a wool hen, it would be the perfect solution. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wool-hen-anyone-else.1169926/ It requires no power. It relies on the chicks' consumption of food calories and their own body heat reflecting back to them by means of strips of wool hanging down inside a huddle box. Very easy to make, and you will always have an alternative means to keep your chicks warm.

 

[HeyHey]

If you have a cooler put them in that, crack the lid or cut an opening with a picture frame fir light, make the opening of the frame a little big si they can get air, secure with tape, and put in glass jars water in them that has been heated in the microwave or stovetop. This works for my incubator !

 

[chickens really]

Hmmmmm....They will be fine....Lock them in the Coop at night with fluffy bedding...I have had 3 day old Chicks out free ranging in the early spring with Momma Hen...Snow on the ground still...People put too much hype on how warm they need to be....I promise you they will survive....Let them in the run during the day....Best wishes....

 

[knwisdom]

I know this will not help you right now, but if you plan on using your brooder a lot, the sweeter heater is a better option than bulbs for exactly that happened to you. But it does required electricity so it is still good to have back up.
https://www.sweeterheater.com

I use mine for my adult chickens in winter in the coop without having to worry about setting the coop on fire and then have it available for chicks in spring. You may want to check it out for next time.