Should I bring my brooder and chicks inside?

[cmom]

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!

I hatch out a few hundred chicks every year. For two week old chicks around 80 is good. Watch them they will let you know. If they are huddled together then they're cool but if they're spread out they are good. I have used melon boxes im my garage which work well. I cover the box at night which helps to hold the heat in. Good luck and have fun...

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

If bringing the chicks in will help you bond with them more I say go for it. The chicks I raised indoors are super friendly towards humans and get along great with my cats even.
Coop prices are crazy but with the cost of materials so high it’s almost the same price to build your own depending on how fancy you get. Look for sales or kits on clearance. Send me pics when you get your setup : )

Gosh, it will be a long time before I get one. We have an Amish coop builder not far from us. jhwoodworks.com. They are so nice but really expensive. I guess for now I will have to stick with my store bought coops until I can save for a fancy one. My current setup is not very good.

 

[aart]

For two week old chicks around 80 is good.

Under the light or away from it?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some are cuddled together sleeping and others are swinging. So I guess they are happy.

You are a worrier. I doubt I can do anything to get you to relax a little but I'll try. This behavior is exactly what you want. You are doing great.

I responded to the warmth question in your other thread. To avoid retyping some I'll just link to that thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-warm-do-they-need-to-be.1498761/

Have you noticed that if you have a large group of people in a room some are usually a bit warm, some are usually a bit cool, and many are comfortable relative to temperatures. Chicks are the same way. Some prefer it a little warmer, some prefer it a little cooler. There is no "perfect" or "best" temperature for all chicks. There are a range of temperatures where they do well. When you go outside to take care of your chickens or do yard work or garden, there may be a certain temperature you "prefer" but that doesn't mean you are going to get hurt if you are a little warmer or cooler. Your chicks wont be hurt if you don't have some mystical mythical perfect temperature that doesn't really exist as long as you avoid extremes.

That start at 90, 95, 90 to 95, or 95 to 100 and drop it by 5 degrees a week is not a law of nature. People can't even agree where to start. I consider this a general guideline. To me the best brooder has one spot warm enough in the coolest temperatures and a cool enough spot in the warmest conditions. If you follow this guideline for the warmest spot they will never freeze to death or catch a chill. It doesn't matter if the far end of the brooder has ice in it as long as they have a warm enough spot. It doesn't matter if a spot is pretty warm as long as they have a cool enough spot. What I find is that my brooder raised chicks tend to play a lot in the cooler areas and go back to a warmer area if they need to warm up.

In Texas and other parts of the world, broody hens raise chicks in the heat of summer. Sometimes the daily high is in the 90's F, sometimes over 100 F. Too much heat can be dangerous. My broody hens will have them out foraging during the day, but they take them to shady areas where they can settle in the dirt which should be cooler than air temperatures. Broody hens can raise chicks when there is snow on the ground. The chicks stay out until they get cold, then go under the broody to get warm. I' trying to say that their entire environment does not have to be perfect. All they need is a spot that is cool enough or warm enough and there is a tremendous range that can be warm enough or cool enough.

Most chicks feather out by the time they are 4 to 5 weeks old. Unless you have ridiculous low temperatures they can handle colder temperatures fine by this age. Many broody hens take their chicks to the roosts by 4 to 5 weeks of age. They can't all sleep under the broody on the roosts at that age. They don't have to, they can handle the temperatures. I've seen a broody hen take her 2 week old chicks to the roosts. This was in the heat of summer where the nighttime lows were in the upper 70's. Not all could sleep under her, they were fine.

I don't believe in that 5 degrees off a week chart but some people feel a lot better if they have something like that. So I'll put this together.

1 - 7 days old = 0 weeks old = 90 F
8 - 14 days old = 1 week old = 85 F
15 - 21 days old = 2 weeks old = 80 F
22 - 28 days old = 3 weeks old = 75 F
29 - 35 days old = 4 weeks old = 70 F
36 - 42 days old = 5 weeks old = 65 F

Most chicks can handle colder than this. As I said, a guideline for the minimum temperature of that warmest spot that will keep you out of trouble. Your coolest spot does not have to be this cool. As long as it is not warm enough to cook them they will be OK even if it is much warmer than this. Just like your adult chickens can handle temperatures warmer than the minimums.

Personally I watch the chicks to see how they are doing. As long as one spot is warm enough and one spot is cool enough I have zero stress about this. I let the chicks do the work.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

You are a worrier. I doubt I can do anything to get you to relax a little but I'll try. This behavior is exactly what you want. You are doing great.

I responded to the warmth question in your other thread. To avoid retyping some I'll just link to that thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-warm-do-they-need-to-be.1498761/

Have you noticed that if you have a large group of people in a room some are usually a bit warm, some are usually a bit cool, and many are comfortable relative to temperatures. Chicks are the same way. Some prefer it a little warmer, some prefer it a little cooler. There is no "perfect" or "best" temperature for all chicks. There are a range of temperatures where they do well. When you go outside to take care of your chickens or do yard work or garden, there may be a certain temperature you "prefer" but that doesn't mean you are going to get hurt if you are a little warmer or cooler. Your chicks wont be hurt if you don't have some mystical mythical perfect temperature that doesn't really exist as long as you avoid extremes.

That start at 90, 95, 90 to 95, or 95 to 100 and drop it by 5 degrees a week is not a law of nature. People can't even agree where to start. I consider this a general guideline. To me the best brooder has one spot warm enough in the coolest temperatures and a cool enough spot in the warmest conditions. If you follow this guideline for the warmest spot they will never freeze to death or catch a chill. It doesn't matter if the far end of the brooder has ice in it as long as they have a warm enough spot. It doesn't matter if a spot is pretty warm as long as they have a cool enough spot. What I find is that my brooder raised chicks tend to play a lot in the cooler areas and go back to a warmer area if they need to warm up.

In Texas and other parts of the world, broody hens raise chicks in the heat of summer. Sometimes the daily high is in the 90's F, sometimes over 100 F. Too much heat can be dangerous. My broody hens will have them out foraging during the day, but they take them to shady areas where they can settle in the dirt which should be cooler than air temperatures. Broody hens can raise chicks when there is snow on the ground. The chicks stay out until they get cold, then go under the broody to get warm. I' trying to say that their entire environment does not have to be perfect. All they need is a spot that is cool enough or warm enough and there is a tremendous range that can be warm enough or cool enough.

Most chicks feather out by the time they are 4 to 5 weeks old. Unless you have ridiculous low temperatures they can handle colder temperatures fine by this age. Many broody hens take their chicks to the roosts by 4 to 5 weeks of age. They can't all sleep under the broody on the roosts at that age. They don't have to, they can handle the temperatures. I've seen a broody hen take her 2 week old chicks to the roosts. This was in the heat of summer where the nighttime lows were in the upper 70's. Not all could sleep under her, they were fine.

I don't believe in that 5 degrees off a week chart but some people feel a lot better if they have something like that. So I'll put this together.

1 - 7 days old = 0 weeks old = 90 F
8 - 14 days old = 1 week old = 85 F
15 - 21 days old = 2 weeks old = 80 F
22 - 28 days old = 3 weeks old = 75 F
29 - 35 days old = 4 weeks old = 70 F
36 - 42 days old = 5 weeks old = 65 F

Most chicks can handle colder than this. As I said, a guideline for the minimum temperature of that warmest spot that will keep you out of trouble. Your coolest spot does not have to be this cool. As long as it is not warm enough to cook them they will be OK even if it is much warmer than this. Just like your adult chickens can handle temperatures warmer than the minimums.

Personally I watch the chicks to see how they are doing. As long as one spot is warm enough and one spot is cool enough I have zero stress about this. I let the chicks do the work.

Thank you. I am a worrier, but only because I am new to this and lost 2 chickens... which I hope was not my fault. In some areas I am learning as I go. For instance, when I decided I wanted to gets some chickens, I decided I wanted 4 chickens so I looked for a coop that would house 4 chickens. I got it at Tractor Supply. This was before I found this website. I bought a Chickens 101 magazine and my best friend gave me a chicken book. When I found this site I read a lot of people saying store bought coops are not that good. I have 2 of them. one was free. So now I am looking to find a shed instead... to hold all 11 birds, but boy are they expensive. Anyway I don't want to loose any animals due to my ignorance but I am good now with temp. They are chillin' in their tub under the light and that is where they will stay for now. It is in the 80's under the light and in the 70's at the far end. They seem fine.

 

[chickencoop57]

I live in the Tx Hill Country and I have 19-1 week old chicks fresh from the incubator and they're in a big plastic brooder out in the greenhouse. I keep a heat lamp on them at night cause temps can be as low as 42 degree's, at night, but turn it off and open the door during the day, cause temps can get as high as 100, in the greenhouse, if I don't. I've no problems doing it this way. However, when they get about 2 weeks old, I'll put them in an area in the outside coop that I have wired off, just for chicks and I'll also run a heat lamp in there for them. Have done this a couple of times and so far, so good!

 

[Erinshortcake]

If they've made it to 2 weeks and your heat lamp keeps it in the 80s you should be fine. How big is your brooder and what type of heat source do you have? I highly recommend a flat panel brooder/heater with adjustable legs and a box that is bigger than your heat panel. The chicks can regulate temp by moving out and under the panel.

 

[Shahnaz13]

Fiona from "English Country Life" might give you some ideas.

 

[gtaus]

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!

I live in northern Minnesota, and brood my chicks in our garage in the springtime when the temps are in the 20F-30Fs. So, very cold. I use 2 heat lamps, suspended by chains, for the brooder to keep the temp under the lights around 95F for the first week, and drop it by 5F every week thereafter. If one lamp burns out, then the second lamp should be enough to keep them warm. The brooder should be big enough to have cool spots for the chicks. I also keep a remote thermometer sensor in the brooder and it will alert me in the house if the brooder temp drops below my set limit. I don't heat the entire garage, only the brooker under the heat lamps. Works for me. I prefer the heat lamps because I can look inside the brooder and see if the chicks are doing alright, or not, and make adjustments as necessary.

As always, if you use heat lamps, I recommend at least 2 methods of securing the lamp. You don't want the lamp to fall down and start a fire.

 

[gtaus]

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!

Popular, old, and incorrect, but still widespread.

Dear Wife considers me old, incorrect, and widespread, but not so popular anymore.....

More seriously, all my chicken books still say to start the chicks under the heat lamps at 95F the first week and drop it by 5F every week thereafter. That has worked for me for many years. I also consider their behavior - are they all huddled under the heat lamp, avoiding the heat lamp, or in that happy place where they seem to find some heat on the outside rim of the light.

Considering the body temp of a chicken is ~106F, I never thought 95F under the heat lamp was too warm.

@aart, What are the current recommendations? Thanks.