When to wean mixed flocks off heat lamp?

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Hello, we are currently raising about 100 baby chicks, of various ages, and I was wondering when we should start to wean them off the heat lamps?
We're raising them indoors in DIY brooders with heat lamps. I think our youngest chicks are about 2 weeks old and our oldest are probably hitting 5 to 6 weeks. We have mixed flocks, a bunch of different breeds. We just have similarly aged/sized chicks together. Unfortunately I don't have their exact ages as we purchased them from TSC and Rural King, at different sizes and ages.

We do have some bantams, not sure if they have to stay on heat longer or not.

Our oldest chicks are fairly large, almost fully feathered, but they still hang out under the heat lamp quite a bit.

Advice would be appreciated.

 

[nuthatched]

Move and seperate the oldest ones away from the heat lamp, after a week or so, move to the coop, do the next oldest etc

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Move and seperate the oldest ones away from the heat lamp, after a week or so, move to the coop, do the next oldest etc

Thanks for the response!
Should I just completely remove the heat lamp or wean them off of it over a given period of time?

 

[nuthatched]

Thanks for the response!
Should I just completely remove the heat lamp or wean them off of it over a given period of time?

Wean the oldest ones away, the younger ones aren't ready to be without it yet.

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Wean the oldest ones away, the younger ones aren't ready to be without it yet.

Got it!
How do you recommend weaning chicks off of heat lamps? I've heard people say they raising the heat lamp a bit each day, so that the chicks slowly get used to less and less heat, eventually completely weaning from it. Others will turn it off in the daytime and leave it on through the night. Not sure when they decide the chicks can handle a night without it though.

Their brooders are indoors, where the ambient/room temperature is anywhere from 65 to 78 degrees.

Thanks for your help!

 

[nuthatched]

Got it!
How do you recommend weaning chicks off of heat lamps? I've heard people say they raising the heat lamp a bit each day, so that the chicks slowly get used to less and less heat, eventually completely weaning from it. Others will turn it off in the daytime and leave it on through the night. Not sure when they decide the chicks can handle a night without it though.

Their brooders are indoors, where the ambient/room temperature is anywhere from 65 to 78 degrees.

Thanks for your help!

Move the oldest chicks farther away from the lamp, your younger ones still need it. Unless you have 2 lamps, leave one with the younger ones and slowly raise the other lamp above the older ones. At 5 weeks, they shouldn't need it much longer.

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

Move the oldest chicks farther away from the lamp, your younger ones still need it. Unless you have 2 lamps, leave one with the younger ones and slowly raise the other lamp above the older ones. At 5 weeks, they shouldn't need it much longer.

We have 3 chicken brooders. The largest chicks are all in a brooder together, but there are a few smaller ones mixed in.

 

[3KillerBs]

You need to separate out the fully-feathered chicks who are ready to be off heat (most hit this point between 4 and 6 weeks). Those can be weaned off heat and acclimated to the outdoor temperatures.

The young ones need their heat until they hit that stage.

 

[nuthatched]

We have 3 chicken brooders. The largest chicks are all in a brooder together, but there are a few smaller ones mixed in.

Then yes, I'd slowly raise the hea amp. :]

 

[sheknitsandcrochets]

You need to separate out the fully-feathered chicks who are ready to be off heat (most hit this point between 4 and 6 weeks). Those can be weaned off heat and acclimated to the outdoor temperatures.

The young ones need their heat until they hit that stage.

OK!
Thanks for your help!