5 week old chicks dealing with the cold?

[scoopy82]

Just wondering if older chicks will still behave in the same way as say 1 week old chicks if they are feeling cold? Will they chirp loudly if they are too cold? My 22 5 week old chicks have just gone into an enclosure that is protected from the weather but still has one side open, I put the heat lamp in there for them and it is probably going to get to 35f tonight, probably about 45-40f now, and they are sleeping in groups, seemingly okay and not making any noise or piling ontop of each other, and of course no where near the heat lamp. I'm just hoping that if they are cold they will let me know rather than just sleeping silently but really being too cold.
Someone please tell me that older (5 weeks old) chicks will still sound the alarm if they are cold.

 

[Opa]

At 5 weeks they are fully feathered and as long as your birds are protected from the wind they should be will be fine outdoors.

 

[Stacykins]

I put some almost fully feathered out four weekers out when nights were getting down to 40f, and they did awesomely! Don't underestimate the amount of body heat they can generate, since the first few nights they'll definitely be huddled together. Mine learned how to roost really quickly though.

 

[scoopy82]

Well thats reassuring - with 22 of them I figured they should be able to keep each other warm, and the floor is covered in deep hay and wood shavings, I have been checking them every now and then just to see if any of them are looking uncomfortable and they are all in the same place as when I last checked. I just hope that if they do get cold they realise the heat lamp is there, the enclosure is also surrounded by a few hay bales for insulation, and there is a little hut like container that they can get into (half a 44 gallon plastic drum cut in half, tipped upside down with a door cut out) if needed. I think perhaps i just need to relax and trust they can look after themselves now!