Will They Survive?

[Alley101]

Hello!

I'm wondering if I brood chickens from chick to adult from September to December (16 weeks) and keep them in my basement with heat lamps if they'll survive the winter. I believe that they'll be okay with the heat lamps but I wanted to double check. This is really important to me, because I really want to raise chickens.

Thanks!

-Alley

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I raised chicks in my barn with heat lamps and they all survived the winter. So long as the heat lamp keeps it the require temp, it doesn't really matter what season it is. Good luck, and

 

[Alley101]

I raised chicks in my barn with heat lamps and they all survived the winter. So long as the heat lamp keeps it the require temp, it doesn't really matter what season it is. Good luck, and  

Thanks @MadamPoofyBrow, for the input! This was really helpful!

- Alley

 

[Gray Farms]

I use two lamps in winter "in the barn as well". Just in case one would go out in the night.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your chicks should be weaned off heat altogether by the time they are 5 weeks old. They can go out at that time, and really should. You don't want to keep them in your basement until December, because they will have a harder time adjusting to the colder weather at that time. There are many things you can do to transition them. The first suggestion I would make would be to do away with the heat lamps altogether and switch to a heating pad for your brooder. When they transition off the heat, you can provide them with a huddle box. You can do a search for information on both of these methods by entering the topic in the top blue search bar. Blooie has a wonderful article on Mother Heating Pad brooder. And I think it's Azygous who is the huddle box queen. When using a heat lamp, it's super important that the brooder be big enough so that they only have heat directly under the heat lamp. The rest of the brooder should be what ever the ambient outside temps are. That's why the heating pad is such a superior brooding method. It doesn't heat up the rest of the brooder, and more closely mimics the heat provided by a broody hen.

 

[aart]

Your chicks should be weaned off heat altogether by the time they are 5 weeks old. They can go out at that time, and really should. You don't want to keep them in your basement until December, because they will have a harder time adjusting to the colder weather at that time. There are many things you can do to transition them. The first suggestion I would make would be to do away with the heat lamps altogether and switch to a heating pad for your brooder. When they transition off the heat, you can provide them with a huddle box. You can do a search for information on both of these methods by entering the topic in the top blue search bar. Blooie has a wonderful article on Mother Heating Pad brooder. And I think it's Azygous who is the huddle box queen. When using a heat lamp, it's super important that the brooder be big enough so that they only have heat directly under the heat lamp. The rest of the brooder should be what ever the ambient outside temps are. That's why the heating pad is such a superior brooding method. It doesn't heat up the rest of the brooder, and more closely mimics the heat provided by a broody hen.

Ditto Dat^^^^

I think I started the huddle box, but didn't use it this year as I brooded in the coop with the MHP after just one week inside the house...
........@azygous is the 'chick portal' queen.

 

[lazy gardener]

Ditto Dat^^^^

I think I started the huddle box, but didn't use it this year as I brooded in the coop with the MHP after just one week inside the house...
........@azygous is the 'chick portal' queen.

Thanks Aart for the clarification. I like to give credit where it is due, so will try to remember that. You are genious!!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Aart: have you found that your huddle box has any bearing on the likelihood for the chicks to take up night time residence in the nest boxes when they move to the adult coop?????

 

[aart]

Aart: have you found that your huddle box has any bearing on the likelihood for the chicks to take up night time residence in the nest boxes when they move to the adult coop?????

Well, I didn't use a huddle box this year, I put one in but they didn't use it after they wouldn't fit under the MHP anymore, and they still all wanted to sleep in nest boxes.
So, no, I don't think it has any bearing.