Moving chickens to coop

[madmantrapper]

How old are the chickens when you move them from the heat lamp cage to the coop. I may have messed up. When I bought them I was told to use the heat lamp at 95 degrees and lower the temp 5 degrees a week. So I figured when the temp matched what it is outside, move them out. I put the heat lamp inside the coop aimed at a corner to consolidate the heat in an area that is going to be nest boxes. Now the temp is droping into the high fifties low sixties. Am I screwing up?

Paul

 

[Omran]

Quote:
Paul you are fine now the temp are really good enough and what you did is perfect, I moved mine out to the coop when they were 3 weeks old and they all doing just fine, 50 to 60F is a good temp.

 

[totallydiversified99]

i wait till 6 weeks then I start shutting the light off for a few hours a day then move them outside for part of the day to ween them off the heat.

 

[edselpdx]

I just moved my 4.5 weekers out to the larger coop 3 days ago with a heat lamp in a corner just like you. They were outgrowing the brooder in the house. Silly me, believed the write ups that talked about a large Rubbermaid container for 8 weeks (3 chicks). Temps here are in the 40's at night, 50-s to 60's (70's this weekend, please?) in the daytime. They gather under the lamp at night (gather, not huddle), but roam around the coop all day. They aren't being let out into the run unless it's a warm afternoon just yet. They have free access to their feed, grit, and water in the coop for now, though I think I'll have that under the coop in the covered run in the future. They haven't been interested in the roost yet, but it's a bit high for the little buggers just yet.

I think you're fine, as long as you're checking in on them a couple of times a day and they have heat, food, and water. Then again, I'm a newbie. Just seems to me that at this size, no mama could actually keep them all at an 75 degree temp all the time anyway.

ed

 

[gritsar]

Paul, how old are your chicks?

 

[madmantrapper]

I don't know how old they are for sure. I'm thinking a couple to three weeks. They are covered with feathers for the most part.

 

[aidenbaby]

I just moved my little ones out of the house today. They have a heat lamp and a draft free coop. Mine range in age from a day or two up to 3 weeks. The big chicks like to spend the day outside and I have to keep an eye out for how long the babies are out. The youngest chicks aren't smart enough to go inside when they get chilled yet. It isn't too hard since my own kids (1 and 3) are out in the backyard most of the day anyway. Tonight, I'll go out to close up the coop and make sure it isn't too hot or cold in it.

 

[Superior Chicks]

There are quite a few, like me, who raise our babies IN the coop. My girls are just fine, they are two weeks old now, and the night time temps are still in the upper 20's to low 30's here. Of course they are now allowed OUT of the coop yet.

Keep the heat lamp on, no drafts, watch behavior. They will be perfectly fine.

Ma

 

[gritsar]

Yeah, what superior chicks said.

 

[Lunachick]

behaviour -- I just put my 5 1/2 wk old chicks out in their run. The temps here in NJ have been extreme. 89 the last few days, night temps 62. So I moved my babies out into their run & mini coop. It was fine for awhile, now we had 40 at night and no heat lamp, they were fine in the morning - I was so worried - and tonight will be chilly so I put the heat lamp out hovering over their run (they're still hooked on to the cardboard box to sleep in) but I just checked on them (9:00 pm EST) and they're RESTLESS!

Is it the heat lamp all of the sudden? From not having it for awhile? Did they already get acclimated to the cooler temps and I'm ruining it? Help.....anyone? Should I shut off the heatlamp and let them get cozy on their own?