Raising Chicks - Winter Temperatures and Moving Chicks Outdoors

[janvoigt]

When we have the newly hatched chicks in the spring, we have them in an unheated garage, in a pen with a screen cover and a heat lamp. You can easily tell if the temp is ok. Probably 4- 5 weeks old, we put them in a fenced off area in the chicken coop. The hens and chicks get used to each other, and the hens can't eat their food. We have to have their area covered with fencing. We wait until they are good sized before releasing them (when we"ve used up all the chick starter). Play it by ear, but please don't have them in your house.

 

[calliescluckers]

I'm getting chicks tomorrow. I didn't know this part about never having them in the house? My plan was to put them in the basement in their brooder. It's still getting down to 0 C at night.... What do I do?

 

[janvoigt]

Chickens make fine dust that permeates into everything- including your lungs. Is that beautiful little girl in the picture your daughter? You do not want her breathing in chicken dust. What are you referring to as your brooder? Is it something enclosed? You probably have a heat lamp if you're planning for baby chicks, right? If you have a garage that's not drafty- that would be a good place. As long as they are in some sort of box to contain the heat from the heat lamp they should do fine. They are babies with small bodies so they do need some extra care. But look at all the small birds that are outside all winter. God made them that way. What is your brooder?

 

[calliescluckers]

my brooder is in our unfinished basement. its a wooden box with a heat lamp.... and we have the little "room" made with house wrap to contain the air/heat in there. my only concern is it needs to be 85 degrees at the coldest spot of the brooder.... which i don't think it would be if it were in our shop. we may build a hover brooder this weekend and move them outside...? @Johnny123

 

[calliescluckers]

Chickens make fine dust that permeates into everything- including your lungs. Is that beautiful little girl in the picture your daughter? You do not want her breathing in chicken dust. What are you referring to as your brooder? Is it something enclosed? You probably have a heat lamp if you're planning for baby chicks, right? If you have a garage that's not drafty- that would be a good place. As long as they are in some sort of box to contain the heat from the heat lamp they should do fine. They are babies with small bodies so they do need some extra care. But look at all the small birds that are outside all winter. God made them that way. What is your brooder?

and yes thats our little Callie i do not want her around them if thats the case...

 

[mortie]

It does not need to by 85 in the coldest part of your brooder. The temperature of the brooder doesn't matter as long as there is a warm spot that is your target temp. The idea is that the chicks run around in the cooler areas and return to the warm area to rest and warm up. Chicken dust is gross and it does manage to get all over but we brooded our chicks in our basement for 2 weeks before moving to the garage and it wasn't that bad and did no harm to us or our 3 kids.

 

[calliescluckers]

okay... that makes a little more sense. our hatchery flyer says THE COLDEST SPOT OF YOUR BROODER SHOULD BE 85. it seems to stress temperature a lot. we will get something set up this weekend for out of the house, so they will only be in the house for a couple days. i remember as kids we had them in the basement too.... just seems to be the "thing to do" i guess!

 

[mortie]

Chicks hatched with hens in anywhere but the warmest places are going to experience temps lower than 85. It's fine as long as they have a warm spot to go to. My basement brooder was 70 in the coolest spot and when I moved them to the garage at 2 weeks it was in the 40s in the coolest spot. Just pay attention to your chicks. If they run around and then return to the warm area for a nap they are fine. If they are all huddled under the bulb they are too cold. It's normal for them to group together when they sleep, that doesn't mean they are too cold. You will know it when you see it. They will stand in a tight group peeping loudly if they are too cold.

 

[calliescluckers]

here is our update


they sent us 11 turkeys, 4 DOA... 7 doing GREAT
52 meaties, 52 ALIVE
17 layers, 17 ALIVE

happy little things. switched to fermented feed as of last night.

 

[janvoigt]

here is our update


they sent us 11 turkeys, 4 DOA... 7 doing GREAT
52 meaties, 52 ALIVE
17 layers, 17 ALIVE

happy little things. switched to fermented feed as of last night.

-+
Wow, 76 is a lot of new birds all at once. What did you end up doing with them? Did you look at the articles about chicken dust?