What temp must it be to move them to covered garage? (unheated)

[careeka22]

Hi,

I have 9 chicks hatched the day before Valentines day so they are 4 weeks tomorrow. Not fully feathered of course and I still have them under the heat lamp. They are currently in my house in a baby pool with gates around the sides to keep them in. I'm in VA and temps have dropped for this week but range from 30s to 60's. When is it possible to move them to our attached garage with the heat lamp? These are our 2nd set of chicks but the last ones we got it was summer and so hot that we moved them out early and they did fine. I'm ok keeping them in but obviously the bigger they get the more they smell and the dust is annoying to keep up with.

We also have one chick developing slower than the rest who doesn't have very much feathers yet so we may have to keep them in longer for him/her.

 

[azygous]

Are the chicks using the heat during the day or remaining away from it, just using it at night?

What is the ambient temp in your unheated garage? Is it entirely enclosed, or just a covered car port?

 

[careeka22]

Are the chicks using the heat during the day or remaining away from it, just using it at night?

What is the ambient temp in your unheated garage? Is it entirely enclosed, or just a covered car port?

They like to sleep cuddled around the edges of the brooder but really move all over. At night we turn the heat off downstairs and it gets to 60 in the house so maybe I'll start turning it off during the day but on at night? I'll have to look today to see the garage temp, it's entirely enclosed and attached to the house but still chilly.

 

[azygous]

If you can be sure the chicks aren't needing the heat during the day, they are good to go out to the garage right away with the heat lamp.

If the temp in the garage doesn't get below the lower 50s during the day, the chicks will be fine. Also, after a week, you will be able to turn the heat off during the day to get them started acclimating to colder temps.

If the night temps in the garage aren't below the lower 30s, you will be able to wean them off heat at night by age six week and then move them into their coop to live.

 

[careeka22]

If you can be sure the chicks aren't needing the heat during the day, they are good to go out to the garage right away with the heat lamp.

If the temp in the garage doesn't get below the lower 50s during the day, the chicks will be fine. Also, after a week, you will be able to turn the heat off during the day to get them started acclimating to colder temps.

If the night temps in the garage aren't below the lower 30s, you will be able to wean them off heat at night by age six week and then move them into their coop to live.

Thank you! I'll start by seeing how they do without heat during the day. My one concern is just my one chick that is smaller and less feathered but he likes to huddle with the rest of them. Maybe by this weekend I'll move them into the garage, we are in a cold spell right now and it's supposed to warm up this weekend and that will be a good test. The coop is nice and thick so with some new fluffy bedding they should be ok out there especially with spring hopefully coming soon.

 

[lazy gardener]

By 3 weeks, they can and should be off heat if they are in your house. By 4 - 5 weeks, if you have taken steps to harden them off to outside temps, they can and should be able to live in typical spring time temps w/o extra heat. My chicks who use MHP brooder system are brooded in an outdoor coop. They start in mid April with night time temps down to 20's, day time temps vary 30's to 50's. At 3 weeks of age, they rarely use their MHP, and are flitting all over that coop, from the upper loft level where their MHP is to the lower run area. By the time they are 4 - 5 weeks old, they have weaned themselves off heat completely, with temps varying from 30's to 70's.

 

[careeka22]

By 3 weeks, they can and should be off heat if they are in your house. By 4 - 5 weeks, if you have taken steps to harden them off to outside temps, they can and should be able to live in typical spring time temps w/o extra heat. My chicks who use MHP brooder system are brooded in an outdoor coop. They start in mid April with night time temps down to 20's, day time temps vary 30's to 50's. At 3 weeks of age, they rarely use their MHP, and are flitting all over that coop, from the upper loft level where their MHP is to the lower run area. By the time they are 4 - 5 weeks old, they have weaned themselves off heat completely, with temps varying from 30's to 70's.

Ok great thanks! I'll remove the heat now and give a few days and then move them into the garage for a week or two and then integrate them into the coop. I originally wanted to do a MHP system in the large coop but well my husband surprised me with the chicks one day and I wasn't prepared for it so we just went with the lamp. We have one chick a week behind and one not feathering right so we wanted to make sure they stayed warm.

 

[lazy gardener]

You can also check out huddle boxes and wool hens!