7 week old chicks - lighting question

[crosbygroup]

Hello, I have 4, 7 week old chicks (they were hatched just before Thanksgiving). One is a Leghorn, one a Rhode Island Red, one a Barred Rock and the last was supposed to be an Aracana or EE not sure, They are still indoors and I have been keeping them in a huge box. They have been under constant light (incandescent). I am not quite sure what to do.

Should I try and put them on natural light? I have read some articles that say pullets should not be raised under increasing light.

Should I change them to 12 -15 hour constant light and step it up as they near 20 weeks?

Their feathers are coming in nicely and they are looking like teenagers. I would like to move them outside soon. I do have access to electricity near their future coop and I could easily put a timer and light in their coop. We live in Southern California and currently there is just a little over 10 hours of light/day.

 

[Eagle2026]

Seems to me that you have plenty of light 10 hrs a day.
I would transition them outside if you can keep the HEAT up above 80.

Then check on them just before you go to bed to make sure there not sluggish, and as soon as you wake up.

 

[crosbygroup]

eagle2026,

I thought by 7 weeks they would be OK at 60 degrees. I think I'll leave them inside for a while longer. Do you think that the increasing light will make them mature to fast?

 

[Happy Chooks]

At 7 weeks they would be fine at 55-60 degrees. And 10 hours of light should be plenty. You just don't want too little light where they can't eat enough to grow.

My babies went out to a mini coop at 6 weeks with a heat lamp, as we got a really cold storm that week that gave us a foot of snow followed by 3 days of 14 degree nights. They were fine with the lamp. A couple weeks later, I gave them a 75 watt light bulb instead of the heat lamp during the day. Last week I gave them a red 25 watt bulb during the day. (they are 11 weeks old now) They are completely dark from 7pm-7am. I have to give a tiny bit of light during the day as my mini coop doesn't let much light in. (a problem I plan on having DH fix) Otherwise, I wouldn't have a light on at all.