Anyone have experience with heat lamps in cold garage?

[kiwiegg]

I would like to move my 15sq' plywood brooder and 17 chicks (3 x 1 1/2 wks 14 x 2 1/2 wks) to our insulated but unheated attached garage. They have been inside since I got them 3 days ago but I'm wondering if it will be ok to put them in the garage as we are having house guests for a few days. The next few nights temp will low at 33,39,35,42,48,48

I have been using one 250W red heatlamp. If I buy another one today and have two hooked up will they be enough to keep the temp at 85-90 for the babes? I can cover around 70% of the brooder with plywood safely to keep some heat in. I made the brooder floor raised an inch off the ground and is 1/2 " plywood and linoleum with 2" pine shavings. I don't want to do this move today if it's a waste of time so I'm hoping there is someone out there who has tried this before!

Thanks for any input!

 

[aoxa]

I moved my chicks out to the garage at 3 weeks old with two heatlamps. As long as they are at the right height, you should be able to reach desired temp directly under it. My chicks are now 7 & 8 weeks and were off the heat lamp completely at 6 & 7 weeks.

 

[aoxa]

Bad picture, but this is what it was like when they were 4 & 5 weeks old. Raised far enough up that it reached 70. That is a stuffed toy they liked to perch on.

 

[canesisters]

My dear friend's daughter is raising chicks for a 4h project. They have a big plywood brooder (up on legs - very convenient). The chicks went out to the garage just a couple of days after they arrived and have done great. All healthy and happy and growing like mad!

 

[kiwiegg]

Thank you all for your input - I think that I will give it a try. I just gave them a worm - feeding frenzy!!!

 

[Cindy in PA]

I always brood my chicks in an insulated, unheated garage. Got 25 on Wednesday & they are doing fine with one lamp 24" off the floor. They are in a plywood brooder with no floor, just plastic, pellets & pads right now to cover the floor. You only need the heat under the lamp. Mine still sleep under the lamp, but spend the day running all over the box eating & drinking. Under the lamp was 95 the day I got them, but I took the thermometer out, so I have no idea what it is now. They do not pile together, so think temp should be OK. You shouldn't have a problem. I would be careful with two heat lamps, as they need some space out of the extreme heat. Covering part of the box safely would probably work better than two lamps. JMHO

 

[Fred's Hens]

Add another voice to brooding out in a barn or unheated garage. I've got 30 chicks, 2 weeks old, out there right now. I've no idea why folks would want the smells and dust in their homes, but hey, to each their own



.

 

[jobeth3]

we brood our babies in our unheated/ unfinished basement...they do just fine!

 

[chicken pickin]

I have an uninsulated unheated garage and we put our chicks out there in a 4x4 plywood brooder at 3 weeks old. It it a little harder to reach higher temps so I would suggest doing like you said and buying a second heat light. We had 2 heat lamps on ours and they spent half the time under the lights the other half on the cooler unheated side. Im sure your chicks will do fine just watch the temp and the reaction of the chicks. Good luck


edited to say Cindy in PA might be right about 2 heat lamps(Im a newbie) maybe test the temp with one and add one only if needed. Mine did just fine with 2 though.

 

[kiwiegg]

Thanks! Hey Fred, do you have just the one heat lamp going? chicken pickin, are your lamps side by side? I imagine spreading them out too far would be pointless as would give chicks very little "cool zone" to escape to/ feed in?