Afraid I am raising “soft chicks”?

[Sunnyabc]

Hello All and thank you in advance, My 5 chicks (EE, Buff O, Wyd, P rock, Del) are now six weeks old. They are in the brooder in our house at night and in the backyard coop/run for 3-4 hours a day. We live in Mendocino - Northern California coast. I have had a 100watt bulb on all the time in brooder inside and try to make sure to keep room around 60-65 degrees. They still hang out under the light (ie they are not weaning themselves so I’m starting to think maybe I should be making more of an effort to “harden them”?) when I put them outside during the cooler days 50-55 temps, they stay in the coop where I have a 250 watt lamp and pile up under it. The temps at night are low to mid 30s outside so I can’t imagine leaving them out overnight even WITH the lamp but am I doing this all wrong??

 

[Theladiesandagentleman]

They should not need the heater inside the house. I turned mine off at five weeks. At seven and eight weeks mine are now out all day and night in the coop here in Roseville with no heat source other than all of their feathers. It was 38 here last night. They are doing very well.

Love Mendo and try to get up your way several times a year.

 

[Sunnyabc]

Thank you so much. So should I just turn the red heat light off altogether (cold turkey?!) or maybe substitute with a regular bulb?

 

[junebuggena]

Turn off any heat sources. They don't need it. They may complain their first night without the light, but that's more because they will be freaked out by the sudden dark. Give them a week of outside during the day without heat and inside at night without heat before you leave them out permanently.

 

[Sylie]

Technically, if you want to go "by the book" temps for babies goes like this: 95 degrees in the brooder for the first week of life then reduce by 5 degrees each week until you hit 70 (about 6 weeks old) then they don't need the light anymore. They should be fully feathered (absolutely no baby down left anywhere) before they are allowed to stay out in temps below 60. I lost 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes at 5 weeks old because the light burned out over night and it was 42 degrees.

There is no such thing as a "soft chick" in my book. They will tell you with their behaviour if they are uncomfortable. If they are huddling together under the center of the light, they are too cold. The lamp gives off the most heat at the center, where it's brightest and cools as you go out away from the center, the chicks will move to where the heat is comfortable for them.

 

[Sunnyabc]

Technically, if you want to go "by the book" temps for babies goes like this: 95 degrees in the brooder for the first week of life then reduce by 5 degrees each week until you hit 70 (about 6 weeks old) then they don't need the light anymore. They should be fully feathered (absolutely no baby down left anywhere) before they are allowed to stay out in temps below 60. I lost 3 Silver Laced Wyandottes at 5 weeks old because the light burned out over night and it was 42 degrees.

There is no such thing as a "soft chick" in my book. They will tell you with their behaviour if they are uncomfortable. If they are huddling together under the center of the light, they are too cold. The lamp gives off the most heat at the center, where it's brightest and cools as you go out away from the center, the chicks will move to where the heat is comfortable for them.

Thank you so much. They do still have some downy fluff on their bums. The bulb burning out is literally my worst nightmare. That must have been terrible for you.

 

[treslilbirds]

I’m in NorCal in Siskiyou County. I got some chicks back in March and they went straight outside. They had a heating pad for about three weeks and that was it. They’ve been without any heat since. Our nights are still getting down into the 30s and we got some snow the other day. They’re perfectly happy.

 

[Sunnyabc]

I’m in NorCal in Siskiyou County. I got some chicks back in March and they went straight outside. They had a heating pad for about three weeks and that was it. They’ve been without any heat since. Our nights are still getting down into the 30s and we got some snow the other day. They’re perfectly happy.

Thank you! Sounds like I’m being just a bit of a softie newbie. Next time around I’ll probably do things a bit differently

 

[Sunnyabc]

Turn off any heat sources. They don't need it. They may complain their first night without the light, but that's more because they will be freaked out by the sudden dark. Give them a week of outside during the day without heat and inside at night without heat before you leave them out permanently.

Got it! Thank you!

 

[treslilbirds]

Thank you! Sounds like I’m being just a bit of a softie newbie. Next time around I’ll probably do things a bit differently

I understand! When I got my very first chicks last year, it was hard putting them outside for me. I kept a heat lamp hooked up to their coop for a month bc I was so scared lol! But after reading the Mama Heating Pad thread, I felt a lot better. It’s A LOT of reading, but I recommend it