Burrr....Chicks Need Heat Light?

[Ma]

I can't believe after all these sizzling temperatures and obnoxious humidity levels, now we are going to have lows in the mid to upper 30's. Yea! For us, but what about our chicks?

The girls will be 9 wks old on Tues., when the cold is supposed to arrive. They are fully feathered and very healthy. My question is will they be ok in that cold at this age? They are in a coop (built for 100 birds, but we have 9....they think they live in the Taj Mahal...lol) with about 12" deep litter over a dirt floor. Should I put the heat lamp back in? My instinct says no, they better be gettin' used to it pretty soon.

Will they be ok?

TIA
Ma

 

[silkiechicken]

Hmm only 9 at 9 weeks in a large coop. I say give them a wood dog house or a partition to go to so they can snuggle up and don't give them a light. As long as they could snuggle draft free they will have no problem... shoot, my adults sleep outside when it's freezing in the winter. I practice tough love though so others may say give them a light. I would just toss them a cup of cracked corn at bed time and call it good.

 

[CtlisencedArborist]

I agree!

 

[Standard Hen]

Agree with silkie,,,they should be acclimating now. They will be fine.

 

[Ma]

Thank you for your quick reply silkiechicken, most appreciated. The coop is 35' long and has roosts with droppings boards built about 3 feet off the floor on one side. Underneath these boards it is cozy, warm, and dark, kinda like a big dogie house if you will.

I subscribe to your train of thought...I don't want to weaken them going into winter. I'd rather toughen them a little up so to speak. After all, lows in the mid 30's is a far cry from what it will be in a few months. I do have electricity and the capability of putting heat lamps (several) out there if needed.

I think I will know if they get too cold. I have a wireles thermometer in there so I can keep a close watch. I am just a little concerned as since they were born, on July11, they haven't experienced anything below mid 50's. But they always huddle together UNDER (

) the roosts when they go down to sleep at dusk. Will they ever go ON the roosts, we wonder! LOL

Thanks for any help,
Ma

 

[2mnypets]

Wow Ma, you're not that far from us. We live between Galesburg and Monmouth IL. Been starting to finally see some cooler temps during the day. Still in the 50's at night. I agree with everyone else. They need to be able to get those warm coats themselves. If we are always ready with a heat lamp, then those warm coats (feathers if you will) won't come in as good and they will suffer later on.

 

[Ma]

Thank you for all your helpful replies. I agree with the consensus that the girls need to toughen up...........and with their wonderful digs, they can be real cozy.

I think they know what to do anyway. Milleniums of years of experience, they have survived and thrived. I tend to give my girls MY feelings...and forget that they survived without humans for eons. My grandmother would have replied to my question with utter horrror! LOL!

Today's high in the upper 50's and rainy/drizzly and downright chilly....they've been in/out of the coop all day. I close the hatch at dusk, and since they were all inside late this afternoon I just closed up early.

Yes 2mnypets we are pretty darn close. But we are chilier than you. Our highs by Wednesday morning are to be in the mid-upper 30's! My husband and I are estatic! We are so over the heat/humidity. We'd much rather have the cold....bring it on!

Thanks everyone,
Ma

 

[BeckyLa]

Well, ya just cured me of ever moving any farther north than I am right now!

 

[speckledhen]

When I had my original flock, they were put out in the coop at four weeks old, at the end of February. I am in the mountains at 2000 ft elevation and the nights were still cold. Once it got down to 12 degrees while they were pretty small. In an 8x8 coop, I had 10 pullets, one heat lamp suspended about 3 ft off the ground in one spot with a 125 watt heat bulb in it. They were completely fine.
AND I'd be happy if it was that cool right now. I'm sick of mid-80's, which to me is extremely hot, even though the nights are in the upper 50's and low 60's now.