Too cold for Chicks?

[LunaMoon]

I moved my 4 week old chicks from the house to my unheated garage today in an insulated coop with a heat lamp and heat plate. They have been fine all day with our outside weather temp of 47* in WI. Under the heat lamp it has been around 82-84* I’m wondering if I should bring them back inside my house tonight as the low is supposed to be 30 degrees. Will they get too cold tonight? This is their first day out of the house.

 

[southwestclucker]

If you have both the heat plate and heat lamp they should be fine - mine are only 2 weeks old, very similar situation in my garage and they are doing just great.

 

[LunaMoon]

If you have both the heat plate and heat lamp they should be fine - mine are only 2 weeks old, very similar situation in my garage and they are doing just great.

Thank you! I think I’ll try it tonight and see how it goes.

 

[Battlepants]

Are these birds fully feathered out? And how many of them do you have?

 

[LunaMoon]

Are these birds fully feathered out? And how many of them do you have?

5 chicks. I’d say 90% feathered

 

[Battlepants]

Oh, I just realized that you said the heatlamp and heat plate are both going out into the coop with them. Yea, they will be just fine. It might be a little cold on them if you weren't providing the heat, but they will be quite cozy tonight.

 

[DramaBrahmaMama]

They should be fine! Mine are in a "she-shed" that's unheated. We (Iowa) dropped to 23 the other night, I added a second heat lamp, higher than the original. They were fine. They hold their heat so much better once the feathers come in!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Just the heat lamp should be fine, and I'd see about reducing the wattage or lifting the bulb higher as well. At this age/with this feathering they should be very close to going without heat at all at the temperatures listed (or possibly off entirely) but they need to be gradually weaned off heat first.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I moved my 4 week old chicks from the house to my unheated garage today in an insulated coop with a heat lamp and heat plate.

4 week old chicks in an insulated coop with heat. My brooder is in the coop. Neither coop nor brooder are insulated. I put chicks in that brooder straight from the incubator or post office when the outside temperatures are below freezing with a heat lamp. As long as they have a warm enough spot to go to they are fine.

the low is supposed to be 30 degrees. Will they get too cold tonight? This is their first day out of the house.

I don't know how cold it actually gets in that unheated garage. Especially if it is attached probably not that cold.

I agree with Rosemary, they are getting close to not needing heat at all. But not knowing how cold it will actually get in there providing some heat is a good idea. You could have had them in that garage at Day 1. I don't see any problems putting them out there now with heat as long as it is predator safe and you have the wind blocked.

 

[Kiki]

I moved my 4 week old chicks from the house to my unheated garage today in an insulated coop with a heat lamp and heat plate. They have been fine all day with our outside weather temp of 47* in WI. Under the heat lamp it has been around 82-84* I’m wondering if I should bring them back inside my house tonight as the low is supposed to be 30 degrees. Will they get too cold tonight? This is their first day out of the house.

No, I'd NOT put them back inside.