Should I turn the heat lamp on tonight?

[nab58]

My pullets are about 7 weeks old. They're fully feathered and have been outdoors for 2 weeks. I had a heat lamp on at night at first until the weather got a little warmer (50's at night). Tonight it may get down to 32 degrees. should I turn the heat lamp on or are they old enough and accustomed to withstand 32?

Thanks for any input!

 

[ljb1961]

unless you have a delicate breed like a serama, if they are feathered out they will be fine. Mine are about the same age as yours and I am not using a heat lamp for them tonight. I have EE, W leghorns and 1 FBC Marans. They are predicting a low of 39 here in Georgia.

 

[my sunwolf]

I have some 5 week olds out in the coop that are fully feathered and will not be getting a heat lamp tonight. As long as they are fully feathered, dry, and have friends to huddle with, they will be fine.

 

[shmccarthy]

They'll be just fine, my 6 week olds were when it got in the 20s at night

 

[nab58]

Thanks everyone! I have Red sex links and they were fine. My thermometer at the house said 37 degrees when I got up this morning but there was some frost on the grass.
They were fine this morning when I opened up their door to the run.

Today will be their first day with access to the run while we're at work. I'm pretty confident the run is predator proof but am still a little nervous. A lot can happen during the day when you're away.

 

[fermentinginpa]

I just moved my chickens out (range from 5 - 7 weeks old) into their brand new coop tonight from our unheated garage. It's supposed to get down to 36 tonight. I know everyone is saying that is fine but would that go for chicks that may not have experienced that weather yet? We didn't have the heat lamp on in the garage for the last week and last night it was in the 30's. However, the garage is warmer then the outside AND they had outgrown their brooder so they had no choice but to huddle up together.

 

[nab58]

Well tonight we have a hard freeze warning. the girls were fine last night when we had a slight frost and I have read many comments that make me feel confident they will be fine with not additional heat.

 

[fermentinginpa]

Okay, it's only supposed to get down to 36 tonight here and that's only for a few hours, it will be 40 at 1am with a slow decline down to 36 and then back up again so I am crossing my fingers they will be fine