So I've been trying out an experiment for people who want to raise chicks without a heat lamp or any supplemental heat. Who can't afford to run a heat source all the time or live offgrid with limited power like me.
it's the 'cold brooding' method.
Anywhoo, I started with 4 chicks (given to me by a friend who didn't realize how loud they really are!) these chicks were 2-3 days old when I got them...they are now almost 2 weeks old and have been doing fabulously with zero supplemental heat! Their 'cold brooder' is in an unheated shop where the nightly temp is 40*-50* F. Daytime temps between 75*-85* F. They are in a cage brooder (kept away from drafts) with wood shavings on the floor and food and water containers (canary water tubes work awesome for minimal water splashing and clean up!) in that area. They also have a 'mini coop' where they sleep and go into to warm up. The coop is a cardboard box lined with emergency blanket foil and filled 1/2 way with chopped straw. The inside roof of the coop also has the same foil draped from the top of the front to the bottom of the back resting on the straw. For extra warmth during the last cold storms we had I draped a towel over the whole brooder and they all stayed toasty warm. So far they haven't been cheeping or huddling too much from being too cold, this is the 1st batch of chicks I've brooded like this...has anyone else tried this method?