Can I keep 4 to 5 week old chicks in a small barn with just a heat lamp

[TerriL188]

My 8 chicks have now out grown there dog crate I had been keeping them in a back bedroom. I have an 8ft x 8ft home made barn I could put them in and use hay bales to hold in the heat from the heat lamp. Our temps outside are not where I had anticipated them to be by now. This morning it was 38 degrees and did get to 65 degrees but I am just afraid I can't keep them warm enough. I wish I could figure out a way to keep them in the bedroom longer but I cannot come up with a good idea of how to confine them in there. Any Ideas?????????? Thanks

 

[Stephanie Mitchell]

If you're using a heat lamp make sure it's far enough away from the hay that it won't catch fire! They should be fine outside with the lamp. I kicked a batch of chicks outside after 1 week in the middle of January this year because they outgrew their container and they all lived and feathered out perfectly! All I had with them was a brooder plate and heat lamp, there were 21 chicks

 

[TerriL188]

Stephanie, Thank you for your answer I shall commence kicking they out to the barn. I will double secure the lamp so there is no chance of the lamp starting a fire. TerriL

 

[SueT]

I moved mine to coop at 5 weeks, no heat .lows in 30s, they did fine. We had a freeze 2 days later, low of 28, they were unfazed. They have down jackets....

 

[blackdog043]

By 4 - 5 weeks in the house they should have been weaned off of heat. I would just put a huddle box outside with them, although they probably won't use it. They'll probably just huddle together for warmth at night.
I raised mine in the coop brooder with the MHP, low's mid 20's, highs upper 40's, they did great.

 

[usmcpilot06]

mine were about 5 weeks ols when I moved them to the barn. I built a coop on the back end of the barn. It was in the 30's at night. I didn't put a heat lamp out there with them. They did just fine.

 

[TerriL188]

Thank you all for your help. I don't know how old these guys were when I got them from Orschlens but they sure grew faster than I thought they would. They are about feather tip to feather tip. I need them out and I am sure they want out so that is my Saturday project. Thank you again. Terri