Raising meat chicks outside in winter?

[Kaycie Jones]

A week ago I bought 12 Cornish crosses to raise for meat (supposed to be ready in 9 to 11 weeks). I have an old wood garden shed in my backyard, and I've put them in there. I built a box out of 2x4s and chicken wire, put a layer of straw down, then stacked a bale on each side of the box to help hold heat in. Then I put in the heat lamp. When I got them we were fairly warm, but now it's snowing already. Will they stay warm enough in the shed with a heat lamp? They're cuddling up under the lamp in a tight circle, but not piling on top of each other. Should I be worried about them getting too cold at night? I live in zone 5, so it could be as cold as 5 degrees at night here in a few weeks. Currently it gets around 28 to 38 degrees at night. Please help, this is my first time ever raising chicks. Should I get them another heat source or is the lamp good enough? I'm using a red bulb.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Technically chicks are not supposed to be outside, even, until they are fully feathered out- whichi is 6 to 8 weeks old. They can be outside with a mother hen, which will give them warmth, but I do not know if they will survive in the winter, especially when it is snowing. Even a shed can't work with these chicks.

 

[keesmom]

A week ago I bought 12 Cornish crosses to raise for meat (supposed to be ready in 9 to 11 weeks).

They'll be ready to butcher at 6-8 weeks, unless you're aiming for the larger roaster size. They grow very quickly.

My climate is similar to yours, and I always raise mine in the fall. Cornish X don't do well in heat. Just keep an eye on them. If they are constantly huddled you may want a second heat source. Just be very careful with heat lamps near the hay. You may want to look into using the "mama heating pad" (MHP) method which is less likely to start fires.

Check out some of the Cornish X threads in the Meat Bird forum too. Raising them is different than raising other chicks. Starting at 2-3 weeks you will want to start offering feed for part of the day (12 hours with/12 hours without) to prevent them from gaining too much weight too fast.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Your chicks will tell you how they feel; huddling is cold, far from the lamp is too warm. You can put a thermometer under the lamp to get a feeling for the temp also. Opinions differ, but I think that baled shavings are a better base for chicks, and nothing is messier than a group of Cornishx birds!
PLEASE be very careful with the heat lamp!!! I always triple attach mine, including with a chain attached to a fixed overhead something. Never rely on the clamp, in fact, it's best to remove it and depend on a chain, or two, with the cord up there also. Some heat lamp assemblies are safer than others, and make sure that the bulb is tight in the socket.
ThePremier1supplies.com heat lamp is good, and their brooder plate is really nice!
These chicks tend to have severe heart and joint issues, and it's very hard to keep any of them much past eight or nine weeks. Think short, not long. I much prefer the Freedom Rangers from Pennsylvania, who are much healthier, but do take more time and money to grow. Mary

 

[Kaycie Jones]

Thanks for the replies!

I adjusted their lamp so it was closer to them. Since then they hang around it when sleeping or resting, but they're not huddled in a tight circle.

I too was concerned about the clamp working, so I attached a construction clamp to it my husband uses when building cabinets, and even pulling on it won't make it budge. But I love the chain idea, and will be adding one tomorrow.

I'll be looking into one of those pads right away. I don't think a space heater is very safe, and I'd be worried about it getting too hot while I'm at work.

Any and all advice is still welcome. I help my family raise cattle, but I'm quickly realizing chickens are just as tricky in their own rite haha.

 

[chickens really]

Sounds like your doing fine....If they are moving around they should survive till butcher....