At what age can young pullets/cockerel be in sub-freezing temps. without supplemental heat?

[Hannah Jesenko]

Hi,
We live in eastern Oregon and have ended up raising chicks in the winter for the first time. I have 7 to 8-week-old basque and 2-1/2 month old polish, all fully feathered now. Currently, they are in brooders in the garage. The polish just have a 100 watt bulb and insulated pads over their brooder. The basque still have heat lamps. The temp in there has probably been around 60ish. I am wondering when I can transition each to ambient temperature. The coops they are moving into are not insulated but are fully enclosed and not subject to wind, etc. Any advice on when/how best to make the transition. It will be sub freezing here for the next 2 months at least.

Thanks!

 

[sumi]

For starters turn the heat off during the day and only turn it on for the nights, but do it later and turn it off earlier over a few days, so they get used to it gradually. You can then start moving them out during the day and bring them in in the evenings and eventually leave them out all day and night. The trick is to get them used to cooler temps without plunging them directly into the cold from a warm brooder. Do this over a few days, so it's not a sudden shock.