50 degrees too cold for 4+5 week chicks?

[BlueHenDel]

I have two 5 week old Blackstars and one 4 week old EE in a small coop on my screened porch. They are protected from wind. This is their 2nd night out in the coop. They sleep cuddled together in the bottom wired part of the coop. This coop is very small; it's the Townhouse from My Pet Chicken. The coop is in a large box about 14 inches high. There is no ramp to the roosting area upstairs, just a couple of small platforms they are supposed to use to get upstairs. Last night they were settled down until I turned on the heat lamp. Then they were up for hours acting crazy.

Anyway, is 50 degrees too cold for these girls?

TIA,
Del

 

[AlleysChicks]

My chicks have been outside for over a week without a lamp. They just turned 5 weeks over the weekend. It’s been at the lowest 46F outside since I turned them out.

You should wean them from heat gradually.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Thank you. Should I move the heat lamp farther away?

Start turning it off during the day if it’s warm out. Leave it on at night for awhile. Then turn it off completely.

 

[Jamie Molihan]

I put mine out completely about two weeks and a half ago, when they were about the same age and it was colder outside. They all did fine. Do they have most of their feathers?

 

[BlueHenDel]

I put mine out completely about two weeks and a half ago, when they were about the same age and it was colder outside. They all did fine. Do they have most of their feathers?

Yes. The 5 weekers are fully feathered. The 4 weeker still has a little bit of fluff around the neck.

 

[BlueHenDel]

Start turning it off during the day if it’s warm out. Leave it on at night for awhile. Then turn it off completely.

They were cuddled up asleep and when I turned the lamp on, farther away, they're acting like girls at a sleepover!

 

[Jamie Molihan]

They were cuddled up asleep and when I turned the lamp on, farther away, they're acting like girls at a sleepover!

That is funny. I think that you could probably be ok moving them into their own apartment for good. Check the weather...is it going to dip to freezing in the next week? What about Rain? I had to keep Bri g mine in because it was cold and pouring rain here and I didn’t want a dead wet chick.

 

[Dr.GarryTTucker]

I watch Momma chicken and baby chicks move around her during the day even in the winter. But at night they are under her so I would say keep a nonlite heat lamp for night and off during day. Justin Rhodes did a video the other day about him doing that a couple days ago. I think it’s the porta brooder video

 

[lazy gardener]

They don't need heat. My chicks wean themselves from their MHP at 4 - 5 weeks with night time temps in 30's.

 

[BlueHenDel]

That is funny. I think that you could probably be ok moving them into their own apartment for good. Check the weather...is it going to dip to freezing in the next week? What about Rain? I had to keep Bri g mine in because it was cold and pouring rain here and I didn’t want a dead wet chick.

They are now permanently in their porch coop. I used a heat lamp --although they really didn't seem to need it-- and moved it further away from the coop each night for 4 nights. They were moving away from it, so I just turned it off. The rain here has been horrendous the last week: thunderstorms, HAILstorms... lol ... they must wonder what the heck kind of world this is and why did I put them out there away from their safe basement world! I am making sure they are in a dry, safe area.