how cold is too cold for 6 week old chicks?

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stllaura73

stllaura73

In the Brooder
8 Years
Apr 13, 2011
13
3
22
Chicken friends,
I am still new to raising chickens and need some temperature advice.

So I have 4, 6 week old girls - a variety of breeds. They moved into their coop a week ago when temps were in the 80's during the day and 60's at night. We are having a weird cold snap, and it is now in the 60's during the day and 40's at night.

I moved them back into their brooder last night and put them in the garage as it was storming too. It's only 42 now (8:00 a.m.), but they look so cramped in their brooder, that i don't feel I can leave them there all day while I am at work.

Is it ok to put them back in their outside coop for the day? Can they play in their run? Both the coop and the run are attached. But only one has really mastered getting up into the coop from the run, so I am afraid to let them free range for the day with it being so cold and breezy.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Laura
 
I would left them in the coop and allow them to adjust to changes, as that is their future. Chickens are extremely tough and adjust to such changes.

I do provide a 100Watt bulb for them, in the coop, to provide a bit of warmth for 6 week old chicks, on those freak cold nights. But, at age 8 weeks? That too is gone. By then they can easily adjust their feathers as needed. They are also strong enough to push others away from piling on them, etc.

If it is nasty weather on any given day, keep them locked in their coop, while you are are work. I assume it is bigger than their brooder box.
 
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They will be fine! My RIR"S have been outside in their coop since they were 7 days old. I had a heat lamp in the coop & removed the lamp at 4 weeks . They did fine.
 
I have chicks outside in a coop too. They are a little over 3 weeks. I keep two heat lamps out there. They are doing fine. And have been out there for awhile. My temps are close to yours.
 
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If they are fully feathered, they should be fine with those temps.
smile.png
 
Thanks all - I appreciate the advice. Mu husband says I worry too much - but I am just so attached to my girls and don't want anything bad to happen to them.

I am going to have to devise something outside because they are too big for their brooder. So it is OK to hang a heat lamp in their coop? I thought I had read there could be a chance of fire if you do that??

Our coop is only 2.5 feet by 2.5 feet with 2 nest boxes off the back. It is probably only 3 or 3.5 feet high and our big old heat lamp would hang pretty close to the highest roost. Are there any worries with the girls flying into the lamp or overheating because it would be so close to them?

Thanks again for all your advice!

Laura
 
IMHO, the hard glass flood lights are much safer than the thin glass of the heat lamps. The latter concern me and I don't put those out in the barn.

A 90-120 watt hard glass, flat surface flood lamp will throw plenty enough heat. Just position it so it throws a nice circle, and secure it, secure it twice, at about 24" above them.
 
I put out my 4 & 5 week olds last night, first time. No heat lamp, I think my temps were in the 50's. They just piled together, and kept each other warm. They all looked great this morning! Its still in the 50's right now at 8:30am, and nobody is huddling, so I think they're just fine.

I do tuck them in at night, and make sure they are all together.
 
I put my 4 chicks out when they were a few days short of 4 weeks old. Days were in the mid-40's, and nights were in the 30's. I had my Brinsea EcoGlow brooder in the coop, but they slept on the other side of the coop and did not want or need the heater. They have been outside for about two weeks, and are doing fine, even with below freezing nights. Chicks/chickens are pretty tough critters -
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