Baby chicks

[Jordan Crabtree]

I just got 6, 6 weeks olds silkie chicks. My neighbors dog killed all my little chicken so he replaced them. My question is when can I put them in the coop I will put a heat lamp in there with them. I live in southern middle Tennessee. So the weather is all over the place.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They can go right out there with their heat source. Make sure it's one they are familiar with. If they were brooded with a lamp them may not know how to use heat plates and pads, and vice versa.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I have a set of eight week olds and a set of four week olds in my coop now. I live in southwest VA. I started the first set in the coop during the day to acclimate them to the temperature difference until I felt they were okay with the temperatures (and they became too difficult to catch each and every evening). Now I have a heater for the new set, who have been in the coop since two weeks old. They do use it, but come and go from it quite a bit, normal behavior and then back to the heater to warm up. The temps are a lot colder than they were a month ago, so I’m content leaving the heater in with them for awhile. The older birds ignore it. In your shoes, I’d start with daytime acclimation now and keep an eye out for behavior that would suggest they are too cold. Pick a relatively warmer night (once we get one) and let them spend the night outside. From there mine have done fine.

 

[JeanR]

TAke out the heat lamp before you "cook" your chicks or burn down your coop (unless you have carefully placed a thermometer under the lamp and KNOW that the temp is not too high for them--or on the floor or sides of your coop)! 6 weeks olds need about 70 degrees f. for comfort, food and water easy reach and not under the lamp. (A 75W incandescant bulb may be more than enough heat). When well feathered, they can take quite a bit of "cold", but not the COLD of Montana. I have a radiator heater to keep my bantams above 30 degrees temp. Water is up high on a shelf, so doesn't freeze, but your Silkies cannot fly very high. It is zero to 10 above at my farm-- night and day, so too cold for my bantams outside--but plenty of room in their insulated house. Apples cut in half, give them something to scratch about and keep moving. Such dears, had a fairly mild fall and early winter, but now WINTER COLD is here--and will keep those bantams safe, not too warm, but not too cold! My rooster's combs can freeze at 27 degrees f. Good luck.....(used to hatch year around, but raised chicks in boxes in a spare bedroom and not outside houses until at least 2-2 1/2 months old. That is a dusty project, but didn't mind (I do, now. No chicks until April!)

 

[Jordan Crabtree]

These are the babies