Chicks in Garage (low temps)

[JacksFlock24]

Hi all,

Just want to start off with saying what a wonderful community it is here. I feel like I have been posting a lot but I don't want to do anything wrong or cause issues for my chicks. Everyone has been so friendly. Also would like to add I do try to search for answers before I post duplicate questions, just typically can't find something that applies to my same situation and this is my first time ever with chickens.

I have eight 4-week old chicks (about 50% feathered, maybe more.. hard to say). I brought them into the garage about a week and a half ago and built a 4'x5' wood box for them which is about 4' tall. Metal hardware cloth on top and cardboard walls except for the wood frame. They have a Brinsea EcoGlow brooder plate which says it's rated to 50 degrees F and a couple inches of pine chips as bedding. I am in Maryland, USA and temps (Fahrenheit) have been in the mid 20s and into the teens at night. My garage typically is in the 40s but occasionally will hit the 30s.

I have been driving myself crazy trying to keep my mostly un-insulated garage warmer for them. I have an old style chicken dome heater running off a propane grill cylinder with a dedicated CO2 alerting device just in case. I will run it for a while and then throw a cover over the wood box to keep the heat in for the chicks (I leave some areas open to get fresh air). I am having to do this every few hours. I'll run the heat up to 55-60 degrees and then let it go until it gets below 50 (I have alerts set up from a thermometer to tell me when it hits 48 or lower).

Is there some sort of chart or resource that tells you the age of the chicks and what temps they can withstand? Also since the brooder plate is only rated for 50 degrees and warmer, I am not sure it's effective at keeping them all warm in temps below that. I have a Cozy Coop panel heater on the way but it has not arrived yet and I'm not sure where it will go.

Also, am I doing them a disservice by keeping it too warm in there for them and making it so they won't be used to the cold when they finally go out into their outdoor coop? I am absolutely terrified to come out one morning and see they didn't make it through the night due to the cold.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[RubelliteRose]

This page has a brooding temp chart by week https://extension.colostate.edu/top...ing-and-space-requirements-for-poultry-2-502/

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I would avoid the propane fueled heater in your garage. Chickens have much more delicate respiratory systems than people and I would be worried about a leak hurting them.
Can you get an old fashioned heat lamp with a red heating bulb? The heat lamp only heats a portion of the enclosure so they can run in and out of the heat as needed. They can also be dangerous if not properly secured, but they are cheap and easy to find for a quick solution. We use one bolted to the wall over our well pump to keep it from freezing on really cold nights.

 

[JacksFlock24]

This page has a brooding temp chart by week https://extension.colostate.edu/top...ing-and-space-requirements-for-poultry-2-502/

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I would avoid the propane fueled heater in your garage. Chickens have much more delicate respiratory systems than people and I would be worried about a leak hurting them.
Can you get an old fashioned heat lamp with a red heating bulb? The heat lamp only heats a portion of the enclosure so they can run in and out of the heat as needed. They can also be dangerous if not properly secured, but they are cheap and easy to find for a quick solution. We use one bolted to the wall over our well pump to keep it from freezing on really cold nights.

Thank you! I have seen that chart before, however it only lists brooder temps. To my understanding, they have to have an area to go to get warm, but what about the rest of their enclosure? Is it okay for the area to get to the 30s? And since the Brinsea heater only works in temps 50 and above, I am worried its not enough.

Regarding the propane heater, its actually made for chickens. And we monitor the CO2 and it stays at solid zero. Nothing is blowing- its just a dome at the top with a small flame that directs heat downwards. Its actually very pleasant. I've sat under it to warm up myself. We did not want to get a heat bulb because it can be a fire hazard. I am not against it, but just wasn't my first choice. We run the propane heater only for a few mins while we are out in the garage with the chicks.

I guess to sum it up, lets say I have some sort of heat source in the corner (either red bulb or brinsea ecoglow). Is it safe for the chicks to be in 30 degree temps as long as there is some heat source? Or should I aim to keep the ambient temp in the garage in the 50s like I have been doing?

 

[RubelliteRose]

The Colorado State article only mentions a max room temp of 75, but does not list a minimum room temp, so I'm not sure. One would hope that they would mention a minimum if it were an issue.
That is great to know about the propane heater! I had no idea such a thing existed
I only mentioned the heat lamp because I know they work in cold temps. I also hate using them, but don't have many other good options around our well pump. A concern with the brooder plate in a cold room is that they might be reluctant to leave the warmth to drink (and eat, but less of a concern) and become dehydrated. The heat lamp would allow you to place food and water within the heated area. There are also ceramic reptile heat emitters that might be safer then the glass bulbs, but I don't know much about them including if they operate at cold temperatures.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I guess to sum it up, lets say I have some sort of heat source in the corner (either red bulb or brinsea ecoglow). Is it safe for the chicks to be in 30 degree temps as long as there is some heat source? Or should I aim to keep the ambient temp in the garage in the 50s like I have been doing?

At 4 weeks, I think they should be able to handle 30s as long as there's no draft (which they're indoors so that should be no issue). As a point of reference I aim to have chicks fully weaned off heat between 4-5 weeks in the mid 40s, so you're not too far off of that.

So then the main concern is making sure that the brooder plate is running optimally.

I don't know anything about the propane heater so can't give feedback on that, but yes folks do use heat lamps to bring up ambient temperature in a larger area in order to run brooder plates, so I do know that works.

 

[JacksFlock24]

At 4 weeks, I think they should be able to handle 30s as long as there's no draft (which they're indoors so that should be no issue). As a point of reference I aim to have chicks fully weaned off heat between 4-5 weeks in the mid 40s, so you're not too far off of that.

So then the main concern is making sure that the brooder plate is running optimally.

I don't know anything about the propane heater so can't give feedback on that, but yes folks do use heat lamps to bring up ambient temperature in a larger area in order to run brooder plates, so I do know that works.

Thank you! That is super helpful.

I think I'm going to try and leave the garage temp alone (so, no propane heater) and maybe just go with the brooder plate. Since it is colder than the 40s in Maryland right now, I may wait an extra week or two and then wean them off the brooder plate between six and seven weeks. It is crazy how there is not a lot of data on this. I have seen the charts for the brooder temp, but nothing really seems to address the overall temp of the environment they are in.

When you start to wean them off heat, do you have any suggestions for the timing or how long you let them go before turning the heat back on?

 

[NatJ]

I have seen the charts for the brooder temp, but nothing really seems to address the overall temp of the environment they are in.

For the overall temperature, your garage is fine. As long as the chicks have a place to get warm, and their water is not frozen, you do not need to worry about the rest of their space being too cold.

I regularly see posts from @Ridgerunner describing a brooder that gets ice in one end during cold weather, but the chicks are fine because the other end is warm. Examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/short-outside-exploring.1616755/#post-27745232
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/can-we-talk-meat-birds.1617324/#post-27628744

There are also quite a few threads about people with broody hens raising chicks in below-freezing weather. The chicks run around in the cold and then go under the hen to warm up.

With your brooder plate, it may not provide enough heat to keep day-old chicks warm in the current temperature of your garage. But since your chicks are bigger and partially feathered, the brooder plate probably does provide enough heat for them at this point.

When you start to wean them off heat, do you have any suggestions for the timing or how long you let them go before turning the heat back on?

Start by leaving the garage unheated, but the brooder plate running.

Second step, unplug the brooder plate in the morning and plug it back in at night. This happens when they have more feathers, or when you get a stretch of warm weather.

Third step, unplug the brooder plate and leave it unplugged all the time. Leave the plate in the brooder so they can huddle under it. Huddling together will help keep them warmer, and the brooder plate will help trap their body heat a little bit.

At that point you have a choice: either move the chicks and the unplugged brooder plate out to the coop, then take away the plate later. Or take away the plate while they are still in the garage, and move them to the coop later. Either way it makes one change at a time (new place vs. no brooder plate to huddle under.)

For this list of steps, I would let them spend a week or two at each stage, depending on what your weather is doing. If you get a warm stretch, move to the next step sooner. If the temperature drops, stick with the current step a bit longer.

At any point, if you notice them sleeping away from the brooder plate during the night, check them before sunup to see if they moved under it as the night got cooler. If they did not, you can jump to the next step (unplug it or take it away), because they obviously don't need it.

 

[JacksFlock24]

For the overall temperature, your garage is fine. As long as the chicks have a place to get warm, and their water is not frozen, you do not need to worry about the rest of their space being too cold.

I regularly see posts from @Ridgerunner describing a brooder that gets ice in one end during cold weather, but the chicks are fine because the other end is warm. Examples:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/short-outside-exploring.1616755/#post-27745232
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/can-we-talk-meat-birds.1617324/#post-27628744

There are also quite a few threads about people with broody hens raising chicks in below-freezing weather. The chicks run around in the cold and then go under the hen to warm up.

With your brooder plate, it may not provide enough heat to keep day-old chicks warm in the current temperature of your garage. But since your chicks are bigger and partially feathered, the brooder plate probably does provide enough heat for them at this point.


Start by leaving the garage unheated, but the brooder plate running.

Second step, unplug the brooder plate in the morning and plug it back in at night. This happens when they have more feathers, or when you get a stretch of warm weather.

Third step, unplug the brooder plate and leave it unplugged all the time. Leave the plate in the brooder so they can huddle under it. Huddling together will help keep them warmer, and the brooder plate will help trap their body heat a little bit.

At that point you have a choice: either move the chicks and the unplugged brooder plate out to the coop, then take away the plate later. Or take away the plate while they are still in the garage, and move them to the coop later. Either way it makes one change at a time (new place vs. no brooder plate to huddle under.)

For this list of steps, I would let them spend a week or two at each stage, depending on what your weather is doing. If you get a warm stretch, move to the next step sooner. If the temperature drops, stick with the current step a bit longer.

At any point, if you notice them sleeping away from the brooder plate during the night, check them before sunup to see if they moved under it as the night got cooler. If they did not, you can jump to the next step (unplug it or take it away), because they obviously don't need it.

Thank you so much!! This is incredibly helpful.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It is crazy how there is not a lot of data on this. I have seen the charts for the brooder temp, but nothing really seems to address the overall temp of the environment they are in.

When you start to wean them off heat, do you have any suggestions for the timing or how long you let them go before turning the heat back on?

As far as temps, it's partially trial and error - folks watching mama hens out and about and the behavior of the chicks, as well as when they get weaned and how well they do without her. Or for folks without a hen to raise chicks, you figure it out by trying to get chicks out of the brooder sooner rather than later. I push the boundaries a tiny bit more each time I do it, whether it's time or temperatures.

NatJ's advice is perfect, though I'd be less conservative but only because I feel comfortable doing things that way. A few days (3-4) at each stage should be plenty for healthy chicks to adjust to moving onto the next step.