Can 8 week old chicks survive 35 degree night without heat lamp?

[Keylime]

Hi, I have 8 chicks that are all 8 and 9 weeks, plus two hens. They are all in the same roost and doing fine, no heat source. But tonight it will be unseasonably low, 35 degrees. The lowest it has been for our chicks has been 47.

Our roost is drafty because I leave the door open so the chicks can escape the hens. Tonight do I: 1. do nothing: leave door open, no heat lamp; 2. Put on heat lamp that the hens may sit under and not allow chicks near and may burn down roost and the garage next to it; or 3. Lock them all in together and hope the turkey-sized hens do not kill my baby silkie?

 

[Rhode island Rooster]

Can you bring the Silkie inside?

 

[MysticPoultry101]

You should get a brooder and keep the chicks away from the adults until they get closer to the hen's size. Thats what we usually do with my chicks. In fact, We have two different brooders. One for older chicks, and one for younger chicks. But you should get a heat lamp for the Chicks because the hens will be fine because they have their full feathers.

 

[Blooie]

They’ll probably be just fine. You’ve already had them out and done a good job of acclimating them already. I think if you close the door tonight, then open it up first thing in the morning, they should be waiting to greet you. I raise all my chicks outside from the start, even Silkies, and our temps are still in the twenties, dipping into the teens.

Hit the post button before I intended to!! Sorry. Anyway, the integration is the only part of your post I’m not sure about. Are you saying that they’ve all been together already - the adult hens and the chicks? I’m not clear on whether they’re still separated. If they haven’t been in the same space, then that changes things so it’s kind of important to understand that before we can advise.

 

[Keylime]

The chicks and hens have all been in the same run/roost for several days now without incident. The first day, one of my hens was really pissed off and chased a few of them, but now they are all more or less friends. However, the run is 600 square feet and predator proof, with a place outside the roost that only the chicks can enter so the chicks have always been able to skitter off.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

They’ll probably be just fine. You’ve already had them out and done a good job of acclimating them already. I think if you close the door tonight, then open it up first thing in the morning, they should be waiting to greet you. I raise all my chicks outside from the start, even Silkies, and our temps are still in the twenties, dipping into the teens.

Hit the post button before I intended to!! Sorry. Anyway, the integration is the only part of your post I’m not sure about. Are you saying that they’ve all been together already - the adult hens and the chicks? I’m not clear on whether they’re still separated. If they haven’t been in the same space, then that changes things so it’s kind of important to understand that before we can advise.

X2!
You've done the integration and they are physically able to be in those temps.

 

[lazy gardener]

If the juvies are roosting with the hens, then they are integrated. As long as the flock has adequate housing (weather and predator proof) and space (a minimum of 4 s.f. of open floor space in coop per bird) they should all be fine.

My chicks wean themselves off heat at 4 - 5 weeks of age with night time temps down to freezing.

 

[Keylime]

Thanks, everyone!

 

[MysticPoultry101]

The chicks and hens have all been in the same run/roost for several days now without incident. The first day, one of my hens was really pissed off and chased a few of them, but now they are all more or less friends. However, the run is 600 square feet and predator proof, with a place outside the roost that only the chicks can enter so the chicks have always been able to skitter off.

make sure they dong get out of the whole coop. i lost 6 chicks from that because they got lost.