Extension cord with brooder plate?

[Brooks_]

Rip the front wall off.

 

[macmac955]

Also will my chicks be okay in there when the low is 32F? I'm really worried because there's a freeze warning on the weather app.

 

[Brooks_]

Also will my chicks be okay in there when the low is 32F? I'm really worried because there's a freeze warning on the weather app.

Most likely. It's really not cold to them.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Also will my chicks be okay in there when the low is 32F? I'm really worried because there's a freeze warning on the weather app.

I worry about my chicks too, when it gets cold - and I probably spoil them with warmth, but what the heck - it's my electricity bill to pay. At 6 weeks, they *should* be fine at 40-deg-F without supplemental heat, but you said they have NOT YET been weaned off the heat. SO... that being said, YES, I think the orange extension cord would be FINE. The orange color is rated for a heavier load and for outdoor use; so as long as the connections are out of the weather, it should be fine.

I would not be surprised, though - if you go check the coop at midnight and find them huddled together somewhere away from the brooder plate. Mine do. But I still keep a heat lamp on for them, just in case. (Mine won't use a brooder plate after about 3 weeks anyway, don't know why - I raise it up for them.) I start weaning them off heat starting at 4-5 weeks (depending on weather), with the goal to be heat-free by 6 weeks tops.

 

[macmac955]

I worry about my chicks too, when it gets cold - and I probably spoil them with warmth, but what the heck - it's my electricity bill to pay. At 6 weeks, they *should* be fine at 40-deg-F without supplemental heat, but you said they have NOT YET been weaned off the heat. SO... that being said, YES, I think the orange extension cord would be FINE. The orange color is rated for a heavier load and for outdoor use; so as long as the connections are out of the weather, it should be fine.

I would not be surprised, though - if you go check the coop at midnight and find them huddled together somewhere away from the brooder plate. Mine do. But I still keep a heat lamp on for them, just in case. (Mine won't use a brooder plate after about 3 weeks anyway, don't know why - I raise it up for them.) I start weaning them off heat starting at 4-5 weeks (depending on weather), with the goal to be heat-free by 6 weeks tops.

They've been sleeping outside for about 4 days now, thank you for the info!

 

[macmac955]

Here are the girls snuggled in the corner. Big floof ball.

 

[rosemarythyme]

View attachment 3509186View attachment 3509187View attachment 3509188View attachment 3509189View attachment 3509190Here are the pictures. There are small gaps between the nesting box door and the roof.

Yeah that coop has next to no ventilation. Looks like the decorative window is plexi and not open mesh? So there's only the 1 tiny hatch.

You want 1 sq ft of ventilation per bird, which might not be possible as it stands. Removing part/most of the wall of the coop facing into the run portion would be something to consider, depending on your climate, or think about turning the entire mini coop/mini run into a larger coop.

To turn it from 2 small "boxes" (tiny coop above tiny run) into 1 bigger "box" you'll want to remove as much of the inside coop wall as possible, plus the floor. Take out the old roosts too.

Nests might be able to stay as is, or may need to be relocated elsewhere or replaced - depends on the structure of the coop and how things inside stack up once done.

Run a new roost(s) lengthwise or widthwise across the newly open space, depending on how much roost is needed. Ideally you’d like 12” per bird but 10” can suffice in many cases.

Board up some of the external wire walls so that the roost area is protected from winds and rain. Do NOT fully cover up all the wire, you need ventilation and natural light, so at the very least a few inches under the roofline should remain open. If your climate allows for it, you can leave entire walls open with just the mesh, or make it convertible for the season by covering up open walls for winter, and then uncovering for summer.

Example of a modified prefab: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-renovated-prefab-coop.1440258/