7 week old outside with temps 30 and up....

[Kellichick]

I have a 5 week old NH Red and some 7 week old RIR's and Dominique's that I put outside over the weekend. They are fully feathered. Our temps are still dipping down into the 30's on occassion, but are usually between the 40's at night and the 60's-70's during the day. I've given them a 250 watt brooder light at night when temps are below 40. Is it necessary to give them the light? Are these temp's suitable for them?

 

[suzeqf]

my big girls are 6 weeks old and still in their brooder box(no coop or run yet) and i still have a light on them at night when it gets that cool and i switch out their heat lamp bulb to a reg 75 watt if the shop temp is around 60

 

[Kellichick]

I have four 4 week olds - 2 Australorps, 1 RIR and 1 Barred Rock - on one side of my homemade brooder who are not fully feathered and I have six 1 week old Leghorns on the other side of my brooder. I moved the 7 week olds out before I got the Leghorns yesterday and now there's no room in the brooder for them. So, moving them back into the house isn't an option.

At what temperature should I have the heat lamp on them in their little house? At what temp should I make them stay inside that house and not come out into the run?

 

[Fred's Hens]

The do not need the level of heat you are providing with a 250W lamp. It is unnecessary. Reduce your bulb to a 120Watt type for the next week. They are feathered out and do not any heat at all, but since you've been providing it, it is time to reduce the heat in a step, to allow them to adjust. After a week of the much lower wattage, you're done. They will be 6 and 8 weeks old, fully feathered, and those cool nights will be behind us.

I brooded a batch of pullets last fall and they easily weathered 10 degrees at 7 weeks and went on to thrive during a winter of -20 and -30 with no heat whatsoever. Chickens have feather coats on.