Ok so I have 23 assorted full size/ bantam babies who are 5 weeks old today. I will have had them 5 weeks tomorrow. In my basement room the temp is anywhere from 60-75 degrees depending on if we have the wood stove going. When can I cut out the 250 watt red bulb? I have been doing the 5 degrees less every week. I have heard so many different theories lol. Oh and we just had another snow storm so they can't go out for a couple more weeks. We can't get out tractor coop up the hill to our yard until snow melts...
I’m not a huge proponent of trying to keep them at a perfect temperature, or the 5 degrees a week thing. I think the best and easiest is to have one area warm enough, even if it is a little too warm, and have other areas too cool so they can find their own comfort zone in between. They are living animals. Just like many humans cannot agree what is the perfect temperature in a room, individual chicks can have different preferences too. I’ve put 5 week old chicks in an unheated coop with the overnight lows near freezing, but those were standard sized chicks, not bantams, and they had been acclimated to colder temperatures in the brooder by letting the far areas really cool off. But to play along, if you go by the 5 degrees rule: 0 – 7 days = 90 to 95 degrees 8 – 14 days = 85 to 90 degrees 15 - 21 days = 80 to 85 degrees 22 – 28 days = 75 to 80 degrees 29 – 35 days = 70 to 75 degrees 36 – 42 days = 65 to 70 degrees If they are 36 days or older, looks like they are about ready. Or if you want, use a 60 watt bulb instead of the 250. They won’t need it but it will make you feel better.
What a winter/spring. Keep raising the lamp until they all start crowding under it. They need cool space. Excellent advice from Ridgerunner. A hen edoesn't heat all the ambient air, only the space under her.
Thanks a bunch! My thermometer says its 70 (ambient)right now and they are all milling around eating and preening themselves. I guess they are good for now. Gotta get them ready for outdoors!
