7 week old chicks

[mi2bugz]

My chickens are 7 weeks old today. Coop has taken longer than expected. Should be ready tomorrow. The coolest I have been able to get the room they are in is 70. I have opened windows, opened the AC vent, turned off heat lamp but can't get it lower than 70.

Tomorrow is supposed to be 76 and the night is supposed to be 48. Should they be ok in the coop without a heat lamp? There are only 4 of them. 3 hens and 1 Roo. They are fully feathered so I thought the could just go in with no problems but wanted advice first .

Thank you!

~ Nicole

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i really dont think it would hurt to have the heat lamp on at night, thats pretty cool for babies if they also have somewhere to move away from it. i would rather be safe then sorry.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They will be OK if your coop is really nice and tight with the ventilation up high where it should be so no wind is blowing on them. It will be a big temperature change for them though, as they don't have meat on their bones yet even though they are fully feathered.

Would I do it? Yes.

But if I could safely do it, I'd hang a 60 watt bulb for them to huddle under out there to transition them for a week or so. If you cannot safely do this without risk of fire, then they will be OK out there as long as your coop is as I described above (not a tarped-over dog kennel or open-faced rabbit hutch, for example). Not that there is anything wrong with those types of coops at ALL. I am discussing a temperature change, is all.

I often give my fall and winter babies a little heat in the form of a light bulb until they are 8-10 weeks of age. They are definitely ready to move out there if they are 7 weeks old. You will welcome the lack of dust in the house.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ve put 5 week olds in an unheated grow-out coop with the overnight lows hitting the mid 40’s Fahrenheit. Mine were better acclimated than yours but at 7 weeks yours should be fine if you have a good coop like CkickensAreSweet mentioned. By the way, the overnight low hit the mid 20’s F when they were 5-1/2 weeks old in that coop. They were fine.

If you can safely put a heat source out there it won’t hurt them. It will probably make you feel better but they really don’t need it.

 

[mi2bugz]

Thank you! Here is a pic of our first free ranging field trip. Any idea if they are huddled together cause cold from wind or just because new environment? The old sounds they are making are the normal noises chicks make, a few clucks and I just heard a purr lol. Still trying to read their body language and sounds but this is my first set of chicks so very new to it . I have seen what I thought was a pant (open mouth to wind). It is currently 70 so I didn't think they would be cold!

 

[LadyMaryChicken]

They look quite comfortable, esp that one preening at the top. Mine like to snuggle together when they take sun and dust baths. Cute!