Can 10wk old BBW poults deal with an overnight low of 45 degrees?

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I have 4, now 10 week old BBW poults who have been outside in a tractor for the past 3 weeks. At night I have turned on a heat lamp inside an oversized wire dog crate that is inside the tractor. The poults are latched into the crate at night for added warmth and predator protection. The lower 3/4 of the dog crate has been lined with corregated plastic to protect against drafts and I've draped a flannel sheet over the top at night for added heat conservation since the nights have been in the high 40s and low 50s. I'd really like to discontinue the heat lamp at night because I'd like to move some 7 week old pullets out of my garage and have the heat lamp and extention cord available for them.

The forcast for the rest of the week has highs in the 80s and lows around 45. My math tells me that a 10 week old poult should be fine at 45 degrees, but I tend to be over protective and would like to hear from more experienced turkey people before I "pull the plug" on the poults.

 

[ivan3]

Place a thermometer in with the turkeys. Check during coldest time of night. If there is more than a 15 degree difference (in from out), I'd wean `em off the heat during next stretch with lows in upper `50's-low `60's. Not so much that they can't handle draft free/piled together 45 degree nights. It would be the shock of rapid transition that might cause problems.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Thanks for the input. Will do. Now, that said, this weather could stick with us through the month of June. It is one of the benefits of living in the mountains, but can be a problem with young poultry.

 

[ivan3]

Once they hit 12 weeks, they start to toughen up considerably. Maybe start to lift edge of the cover a bit on nights when it isn't windy? Just so it isn't heat lamp one night - quick radiative cooling, x 8 hrs, the next.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

That's actually what I've been doing. The first week I put them out we had a cold spell with colds down in the low 40s and I had that crate draped with the flannel and then reinforced with some big beach towels to hold the heat in. When the night time lows came up into the mid 50s during the second week , I started removing the towels and then leaving more places for warm air to vent. When the lows dropped back to around 45 this week I kept the night time venting. I'm trying to ease them into being able to tollerate the night time lows, but I appreciate hearing from you that what I'm doing isn't overprotective or unnecessary. I'd heard that turkeys were more delicate than chicks and it would be a shame to bring them along for 10 weeks only to lose them by rushing this last step.