At what age...

[Stevenson]

What age or outside temperature can you turn off the heat lamp?

I have 25 three and a half week old chickens. I should have the coop finished in a couple of weeks and would like to move them out then (they would be around 5 weeks old). I would keep the coop closed up inside the coop for a couple more weeks. Will this work or will I need to keep a heat lamp on them for a while. I am trying to make room for the next round of chicks in the brooder.

 

[Domestic_goddess]

At 5 weeks, i think they will be fine. You could have lamp on them only at night, just for warmth...but it depends on your outside temps. I think they will be fine. I put mine out at 4 weeks and they did very well.

 

[chicmom]

I really don't go by age...I put them out in the coop once they are fully feathered. I don't use a lamp once I put them out, unless it is incredibly cold, then I'll use a red bulb for night time. Right now, Ohio is pretty cold at night, but my chicks have all their feathers (I think they're about 8 weeks old), and they're doing fine....

 

[jaimslee4u]

I guess it depends where you live & the temps. I live in Maine, my babies are 5 weeks old and outside. They do have all there feathers which should be something you should look for before you put them out. I started slowly as to not shock them. I put them outside on warm days then bring them inside at night. After a week or so of that i will leave them outside 24 hours.

 

[fancysilkie]

You prob will be able to move them out there. I believe that about 4-5 weeks, the chicks should be able to handle room temperature at night they shouldn't need a light at night (especially if their feathered out), because they'll be able to huddle together to keep warm if they get too cold.

 

[Life is Good!]

We received our 4-5wk old chicks two days ago (11 of 'em!). I put them in their insulated coop (as they are our first chickens, so no one else has lived there yet....well, do my two young sons count? It was their 'fort'! LOL) with a heat lamp with a red bulb 24/7.

Temps in the coop were 62 at window-ledge height, 75 at floor (under lamp) and 54 near the door where it's not near their heat - outside was 52 this afternoon. They've been moving in and out of the heat, going to the food/water/treats just fine, being chicks and playing/running/sleeping/pecking just like they would any other time. Just checked 'em, it's 9pm, they're all sleeping under the lamp, 55 degrees at window-ledge height. We're expected to go down to 35 degrees tonight - last night the coop itself got down to 55, 75 at floor under lamp - and all are doing fine. Three of mine have not finished feathering out, so I will keep the heat lamp going until they feather out better or the temperatures improve greatly - I think the feathers will be first! Brrrr.......

I'm in north-eastern Illinois - been cold, wet, rainy spring - and just about everything is damp and cool. Coop included.

 

[mrchicken]

I think at day 21