Can I move them outside?

[azygous]

Dave, one way to put your mind at ease on the heat issue is to observe the chicks at night just before you get ready to go to bed.

If the 250 watt heat lamp is too hot or situated too low, the chicks will be found far away from it.

If the heat lamp is inadequate, the chicks will be greedily clustered right beneath it, and they won't move away after watching them for a few minutes. That would be a signal to you that the chicks are having difficulty getting warm enough.

I'm guessing that your chicks are finding things just right.

 

[davef72]

@azygous

It got down to 44 last night. Went out at 2am to check on them. several were pecking around the ground. Only the two small Wyandottes were huddled by the heat lamp.

Just now checked them this morning & they're still fine.

 

[azygous]

Bravo! Well done!

 

[davef72]

North corner of my coop is wrapped in a tarp, and I also placed an extra heat lamp in the coop for good measure.
Extra cold weather all next week. Went from 75-80 on Christmas Day to higher 42 tomorrow. Love me some tejas weather.

 

[azygous]

Dave, you've got it good! It's 16 degrees right now out in my run. I have heaters in the coops set very low just to keep things above freezing. I don't want the chickens going from an over heated coop to a run that's well below freezing. It wouldn't be good for them.

I would caution you to go easy on the extra heat. Your chicks are far enough along with their feathering that you really need to be thinking about cutting back gradually on the heat so as to harden them against the cold. Adding yet another heat lamp is self defeating. You ideally want one warm spot and all the rest of the coop should be much cooler. Remember chicks aren't cakes baking in an oven. They only need a spot under which to warm up occasionally, and how often they warm up should be left up to them. By warming the entire coop, you're removing their option to self regulate their heat intake. It's not healthy for them.

Do your electric bill and your chicks a favor and remove that other heat lamp, and think about raising the other one in another few days or install a 100 watt bulb.