Should I bring my brooder and chicks inside?

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

Hello ya'll!

I have my brooder in the garage with my 2 week old chicks. I have a heat lamp and a small heater I used in my office going at the moment. We are to have temps hi/low 50s/40s over the next week. I am wondering if I should bring them in the house. I am not confident my lamp will keep them warm enough... but maybe. Right now it is in the 50's and the last time I check the temp in the brooder was mid to high 80's. I am going to go check again. I just want to make sure they are warm. TX weather this time of year is very bipolar. Cold front comes in and chills us out and the next week we are back up in the 80s. Good times!

Thanks!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Are they huddled or acting like normal chicks?

 

[NatJ]

I have my brooder in the garage with my 2 week old chicks. I have a heat lamp and a small heater I used in my office going at the moment. We are to have temps hi/low 50s/40s over the next week. I am wondering if I should bring them in the house. I am not confident my lamp will keep them warm enough... but maybe. Right now it is in the 50's and

It sounds like the expected low temperatures aren't much worse than it is right now, so probably not a big deal.

the last time I check the temp in the brooder was mid to high 80's.

Is that temperature all over, or just in one place?

I usually want the brooder to have one warm area, possibly up into the 90s depending on the age of the chicks, with the rest being as cool as possible. I aim for below 70 in the cool parts of the brooder, and I try to make sure even the cool areas stay above freezing (meaning, ice does not form in the water. When I say "freezing," I do mean literally.)

I am going to go check again. I just want to make sure they are warm. TX weather this time of year is very bipolar. Cold front comes in and chills us out and the next week we are back up in the 80s. Good times!

Keep checking on them, but they will probaby be fine.

It is good that you are thinking about this in advance, instead of waiting until there is a problem and then having to frantically figure out what to do

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

It sounds like the expected low temperatures aren't much worse than it is right now, so probably not a big deal.


Is that temperature all over, or just in one place?

I usually want the brooder to have one warm area, possibly up into the 90s depending on the age of the chicks, with the rest being as cool as possible. I aim for below 70 in the cool parts of the brooder, and I try to make sure even the cool areas stay above freezing (meaning, ice does not form in the water. When I say "freezing," I do mean literally.)


Keep checking on them, but they will probaby be fine.

It is good that you are thinking about this in advance, instead of waiting until there is a problem and then having to frantically figure out what to do

Thank you. I just checked it. Its 90- 80 in the brooder at the moment. Warmer closest to the light and heater.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you. I just checked it. Its 90- 80 in the brooder at the moment. Warmer closest to the light and heater.

I would try to make the brooder bigger, so they have an even cooler area available.

But I think they will probably be fine if the outdoor temperature drops another 10 degrees or even 20 degrees. The in-garage temperature will not change as fast as outdoors, and the in-brooder temperature will change even less.

 

[aart]

Thank you. I just checked it. Its 90- 80 in the brooder at the moment. Warmer closest to the light and heater.

That's way too warm for 2 week old chicks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-chick-heat-blurb.75619/

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

That's way too warm for 2 week old chicks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-chick-heat-blurb.75619/

Interesting. A different article I read said they should start at 95 and remove 5 degrees every week. Lots of different opinions out there. Thanks for the link!

 

[aart]

A different article I read said they should start at 95 and remove 5 degrees every week.

Popular, old, and incorrect, but still widespread.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Interesting. A different article I read said they should start at 95 and remove 5 degrees every week. Lots of different opinions out there. Thanks for the link!

No. That would be incorrect. 95 is boiling for them. I hope their doing well now.
looking this up, every article is saying 95-100 degrees f?! thats burning up! Definitely dont do that.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

No. That would be incorrect. 95 is boiling for them. I hope their doing well now.
looking this up, every article is saying 95-100 degrees f?! thats burning up! Definitely dont do that.

I am not. Their brooder is currently in the 80s. Sucks that there is bad information out there. Being new to chickens I can only go based on what I read/learn. Unfortunately some of that info appears to be wrong. I am glad I have this group to keep me straight. So far they are great. I just went and cleaned their water and gave them more feed. I moved those to one end and put their swing in the middle. Some are cuddled together sleeping and others are swinging. So I guess they are happy.