Question about brooder in garage

[WindingRoad]

Where in New England? I wouldn't do it because the weather is too fickle around here. I live in Western Maine. If you can wait until May or June you could use the garage. Better safe than sorry. Tuesday it was 4F at 8am with a NW wind of 17 MPH making it -17F. My chickens were fine in an unheated coop also uninsulated but chicks don't have the feathers to keep them warm. I actually hung out in the coop for awhile as it was pretty warm. Unless you have already ordered your chicks. Wait awhile.

We were without power for 22 hours. Overnight ( the winds died down) into the next day. My house is super insulated. I cut my heating bill in half because of that. And my house got down to 48F. Even with the southwestern sun streaming in. So what are your gonna do if you lose power? Do you have a generator and plenty of gas for it?

 

[WindingRoad]

Hi I think it’s okay because I have a brooder in my garage right now and the chicks are fine.

Where do you live?

 

[416bigbore]

Lots of great advice given. I would keep them and or any thing you have then in, up off the bare ground and mount a thermometer at their level. That should be the most accurate temp reading for them and you can adjust your heat source accordingly. Best of luck.

 

[NatJ]

I would go with a big space in the garage, whatever setup works for that. Watch the chicks--they should sleep under the heater at night, and warm up under the heater sometimes during the day, but they should spend a lot of the day eating and drinking and play-fighting and scratching the the bedding and trying to take a dustbath and preening themselves and all the other things chicks do.

If you cannot get it warm enough in the garage, then of course you would have to bring them into the house, but I would try the garage and see how it goes. Especially because your chicks are already several days old.

The chicks do not care what temperature is outdoors, and they do not care what temperature the other parts of the garage are--they only care about the temperature in the places they can get to.

 

[BobbieB7]

Are you using a heat lamp or a heat plate?
They are very different.
100°F is too hot under a heat lamp.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-chick-heat-blurb.75619/


@BobbieB7 Please show the exact heat plate you are using....a link would be good.
Some plates are not recommended being used where ambient temps are below about 50°F. Sometimes they may work OK in colder temps, sometimes not.
What is the exact temp in your garage..and is garage attached to house?

I posted for you

 

[BobbieB7]

We were without power for 22 hours. Overnight ( the winds died down) into the next day. My house is super insulated. I cut my heating bill in half because of that. And my house got down to 48F. Even with the southwestern sun streaming in. So what are your gonna do if you lose power? Do you have a generator and plenty of gas for it?

I’m. Prepared for emergencies

 

[BobbieB7]

We were without power for 22 hours. Overnight ( the winds died down) into the next day. My house is super insulated. I cut my heating bill in half because of that. And my house got down to 48F. Even with the southwestern sun streaming in. So what are your gonna do if you lose power? Do you have a generator and plenty of gas for it?

New England as well

 

[Ridgerunner]

@Tre3hugger is this the same heater you are using. Maybe you can make the OP more comfortable abut using it.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Wish I could reassure but this is only the first day I am using the heater. I have them outside in a coop they just arrived 3 days old. So far, after 3 days in the mail, and about 4 hrs here, I have had one failure to thrive.

 

[BobbieB7]

New England as well

I’m prepared for Emergencies