New to brooding outside

[BWGfcco]

Hello all, as the title says this will be my first attempt at brooding outside of the house.
Last year (inside) went great with no issues. Our new chicks don’t arrive for another 2 weeks so I have time to dial everything in if anything is lacking.
My biggest concern is heat. My original plan was to make a mama hen heating pad and use that as the primary and singular heat source. I didn’t want to use a heat lamp because of the fire risk. Half of the brooder (the right hand side) is insulated from beneath and that is the side the heating pad will be on. As of now daytime temps are projected to be in the 60s and overnights in the 40s.
So will the mama hen heating pad be sufficient or should I also use a heat lamp for the first few days to supplement the heating pad?
Pictures of the brooder box for reference. I call it the “deli counter”…

 

[ChickenScratchFeathers]

I think you should be just fine. I had a single bantam hen keep 7 chicks warm in -5 degree weather for 2 months of bitter cold, and they all lived and survived! No heat lamp or anything. Just straw and wood shavings in a covered coop. I've had good luck with those heat pads as well, 60's and 40's will be just fine as long as they have access to that heating pad. Just ensure they all can fit under it and huddle together. Good luck, so exciting for you and your new chicks!!

 

[RoyalChick]

I too think it will be fine.
I move mine outside after a few days and use a heat plate (like a mama hen heat pad).
One year it went well below freezing and I was in a panic because I read that the plate wasn't rated for below 50°F. But they were just fine!
A few things to look out for:
- make sure that the pad doesn’t have an auto-off function. Some do and some don’t. I am sure you have seen the thread devoted to the Mamma heat pad and they emphasize that a lot. It must not turn itself off!
- make sure they all know how to go under it and where it is. Scout their little fluffy butts under until they figure it out.
- make sure that it is set at an angle or is low enough that they can touch their backs to the pad. That is how the heat plates work - not by making the area warm, but by warming up the chick when it snuggles up to it.
Finally, I would probably go check after dark to make sure they all found their way under and are nice and peaceful. A cold chick will scream a lot!
Good luck and have fun.

 

[BWGfcco]

I think you should be just fine. I had a single bantam hen keep 7 chicks warm in -5 degree weather for 2 months of bitter cold, and they all lived and survived! No heat lamp or anything. Just straw and wood shavings in a covered coop. I've had good luck with those heat pads as well, 60's and 40's will be just fine as long as they have access to that heating pad. Just ensure they all can fit under it and huddle together. Good luck, so exciting for you and your new chicks!!

Thank you for the feedback. I felt in my gut that what I was planning would work, it’s just difficult to sift through what may be someone’s intense attachment to their chicks throwing everything and the kitchen sink at them to someone else’s basic necessities. I’m glad I was on the right path, this is a new adventure with our flock and lots to learn.

 

[BWGfcco]

I too think it will be fine.
I move mine outside after a few days and use a heat plate (like a mama hen heat pad).
One year it went well below freezing and I was in a panic because I read that the plate wasn't rated for below 50°F. But they were just fine!
A few things to look out for:
- make sure that the pad doesn’t have an auto-off function. Some do and some don’t. I am sure you have seen the thread devoted to the Mamma heat pad and they emphasize that a lot. It must not turn itself off!
- make sure they all know how to go under it and where it is. Scout their little fluffy butts under until they figure it out.
- make sure that it is set at an angle or is low enough that they can touch their backs to the pad. That is how the heat plates work - not by making the area warm, but by warming up the chick when it snuggles up to it.
Finally, I would probably go check after dark to make sure they all found their way under and are nice and peaceful. A cold chick will scream a lot!
Good luck and have fun.

Yes I have been perusing the thread a couple of times today to make sure I have everything correct. I like to spend a decent amount of time after bringing new chicks home looking them over “showing them” where the food and water are and where they are supposed to sleep. That way I have a solid baseline of where they are all at and can track their development more thoroughly. We free range our current adult flock and when I am home I check on them a few times a day both because we have a lot of flying predators here and because I find them so entertaining to watch. I will definitely be checking on the new chicks several times a day as well. Thank you for the reply!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Should be fine, I know some folks like to keep them under a heat lamp at the very start to help get them up to temperature after stress of shipping, but I haven't had issue with that so far.

Are you placing the brooder like outdoors outdoors (i.e. in the run), or in a protected area like a barn? Asking because the top is very open for an outdoor brooder, so rain is always a concern.

My most recent brood (last year) with temperatures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...egrate-along-from-feed-store-to-coop.1617102/

 

[BWGfcco]

Should be fine, I know some folks like to keep them under a heat lamp at the very start to help get them up to temperature after stress of shipping, but I haven't had issue with that so far.

Are you placing the brooder like outdoors outdoors (i.e. in the run), or in a protected area like a barn? Asking because the top is very open for an outdoor brooder, so rain is always a concern.

My most recent brood (last year) with temperatures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...egrate-along-from-feed-store-to-coop.1617102/

They will be in our small barn so no worries about rain. I’d like to have them in our coop but it’s not feasible with no power over there. Thanks for the reply

 

[Chickengirl209]

Question…. If I put heat pads on the floor of the coop, would that work? They could sit on it?

 

[BWGfcco]

Question…. If I put heat pads on the floor of the coop, would that work? They could sit on it?

From what I understand, you want the heat above them so they can press their bodies into it more than warm their feet. You want them to be able to push their bodies into the heat source.

 

[BWGfcco]

Update on our batch of chicks:
Not good. Ordered 17 total, cackle sent 20, only one survived transit. The one survivor is a tough little thing. In order for her (may be a he as there were roosters in the order as well) to have the best chance I ran to tsc after work to get her some company and thankfully they had a few chicks left. Brought 5 home with me and she was clearly excited to not be alone. She has already made a friend from the new batch and they were chasing each other around the brooder box. Will be getting more chicks but probably only if I can find what I was looking for locally.

Picture of our lone survivor Easter egger and what is supposed to be an Americana.