Raising some babies in winter?

[abrophy]

I am kind of in the same boat right now. I "rescued" 2 chicks from someone off Facebook (they were only a few days old and the momma didn't want them and she didn't want to raise the chicks either). I am in SE Pennsylvania and our winters here are only just beginning. Right now they are 10 weeks old! I have them in my basement in a brooder but they're getting bigger each week. I'm at a loss with what to do - our wood stove is in the basement so it's never cold down there i.e. I have no way to get them used to the cold so that I can put them outside in the coop with the others. We use the wood stove to heat the house so we can't 'turn it off'. Does anyone have any good ideas or suggestions? We do have a detached garage that isn't heated, but I'm afraid that since we've had the fire going for a month now that even that will be too cold for them right now. From what the lady told me, one is a Jersey Giant x Wheaten Ameraucana and the other is a White Leghorn x Wheaten Ameraucana. TIA!

 

[abraga]

I have a temp controlled building. I move them out once feathered and gradually turn the temps inside lower every week . Do you have a heat lamp? Once they are feathered.. move them out to the shed on a warmer day. I keep a heat lamp in one coop. Some people do not like heat lamps because they are a fire hazard, however, i have extra/double protection to secure them. They will sleep under/near it when they are cold. U could also put them out during the day with a heat lamp and bring them in at night? Try putting them in the coolest part of the basement to acclimate them to lower temps for a few days. The breeds you mention should do ok in cool weather. Once outside..put a thick layer of bedding, I use straw and pine shavings. Make sure they aren't in a draft. Sometimes I put a cardboard box on its side in the coop. Some chicks seem to prefer to huddle together in the box( do not use heat lamp near a box). There are heating pads for pets and heating panels, heated perches you can buy for chickens to. I don't turn on the heat lamps unless it's under 40 degrees. So, I may turn them off daytime, on @night. Also, while in transition I put nutri-drench in the water and make sure they eat good before they are ready to be shut up at night. They should have a nice full crop b4 bedtime.