brooder question with 3 and 4 week old chickens

[JULIE L CORWIN]

Right now it's in the 80's where I live in Ohio. I've had to turn my brooder light off or I would fry the babies. This is usually during the day. All day. So it's dark but not to dark. The brooder stays around 80 with the light off and the lowest it goes is high 70's.
At night it can get down into the 50's now during the weather. Most of the chickes have a lot of feathers. When they sleep during the day they group up. At least some do. When it's down into the 50's at night. I turn on my 125 watt light and run it at night. The highest temp is in the low 80's in the brooder. I don't cover the brooder top. I go out first thing in the morning and check the chickens and usually turn off the bulb. So when can I quit running the bulb at night?What would be a safe tempature at night to not run the bulb. These are brooder raised chickens. I don't want to get them sick. For it to be to cold for them. All are healthy. I know some people don't use the lights. This is the first year that I have turned off the lights. I have raised chickens before. I just thought I would try a new way of doing it. To see how it works out. Any advice? Thank you for your time and knowledge.

 

[rjohns39]

Right now it's in the 80's where I live in Ohio. I've had to turn my brooder light off or I would fry the babies. This is usually during the day. All day. So it's dark but not to dark. The brooder stays around 80 with the light off and the lowest it goes is high 70's.
At night it can get down into the 50's now during the weather. Most of the chickes have a lot of feathers. When they sleep during the day they group up. At least some do. When it's down into the 50's at night. I turn on my 125 watt light and run it at night. The highest temp is in the low 80's in the brooder. I don't cover the brooder top. I go out first thing in the morning and check the chickens and usually turn off the bulb. So when can I quit running the bulb at night?What would be a safe tempature at night to not run the bulb. These are brooder raised chickens. I don't want to get them sick. For it to be to cold for them. All are healthy. I know some people don't use the lights. This is the first year that I have turned off the lights. I have raised chickens before. I just thought I would try a new way of doing it. To see how it works out. Any advice? Thank you for your time and knowledge.

How old are your birds? How well feathered?

Edited as it helps to read the subject line. @3-4 weeks they should be fine outside. I move mine to a portable shelter at 3 weeks, and keep them there for 5 weeks. if they are well feathered they should be fine in 50 degree temps. Sunshine is an amazing thing for the health of the birds. I also move the shelters every few days to keep them on fresh grass.

 

[aart]

You could transition them to a 'huddle box', put it in the brooder after turning off the heat(you might have to 'persuade' them to use it) then move it out to the coop with them.

Cardboard box with a bottom a little bigger than what they need to cuddle next to each other without piling and tall enough for them to stand in.

Cut an opening on one side a couple inches from bottom and big enough for 2-3 of them to go thru at once.

Fill the bottom with some pine shavings an inch or so deep.

This will give them a cozy place to sleep/rest, block any drafts and help hold their body heat in.

 

[junebuggena]

4 week old chicks outdoors, no heat. Average day time temp was about 45, night time lows where in the mid 30s.
Yours will be just fine.

 

[lazy gardener]

Julie, how many chicks? Based on your response to this question, I would suggest that they do not need a light at all, day or night. As Aart says, a huddle box will bridge the gap. You see them snuggling together more for the comfort provided by being together than for the heat that they receive from such cuddling. But, a huddle box would help them to retain heat at night.

 

[azygous]

Great responses! My opinion is you probably no longer need to provide heat as the ambient temp is quite warm and your chicks are on their way to be well feathered, and that prevents them from losing body heat, even when it tend toward the 50s.

But the very best thing to do is to observe your chicks. Are they actually using the heat source or avoiding it? If they go nowhere near it, then it's high time you removed it.