Cheeping when too cold?

[Morgan7782]

nervous nelly here. chicks are outside, it's no lower then 72 degrees. If they were uncomfortable they would be cheeping loudly right? They are 8 weeks old this Wednesday. I am tempted to let them spend the night in the coop. It is very calm, no wind, they are protected from rain/wind, but what if it drops to 46 at 2am? Unlikely, but should I wait or take the chance? I can't have a heat lamp outside for safety sake, so when they are out they are really OUT lol. The coop is completely secure as well.

 

[Momo]

My eight week olds have been out with no heat (after being weaned off of it, of course), and we've been getting frost at night. They seem completely happy, and when I check them they're all snuggled up together on the roost - they feel warm and they make happy little sleepy sounds.

 

[Morgan7782]

How did you wean them off the heat lamp? Mine are outside all day from morning until nightfall, or until it gets too cold. I am sitting here, tiiiiired but I am worried about leaving them out for the whole night. I am sitting by a window and I don't hear any cheeping at all, so I assume they are alright. I get worried about 2-3am though. There are also only two of them for warmth instead of a whole flock. Am I just being a nervous nelly?

I want to go to bed, but can't decide whether to bring them inside or not. They are in the permanant coop, much more room then their little brooder. No drafts, no rain can get to them. It is supposed to rain tomorrow morning, but not tonight. Lows will be 46-50 tonight.

 

[slickchik]

8 week olds should be fine in 72 degree weather especially if they are snuggling together

 

[slickchik]

If you are gonna worry, bring them in. That's what I would do.

Can you run an extension cord out there to plug in a lamp?

 

[Morgan7782]

LoL but then I can't help but wonder if I will EVER be ready for them to go out. Is the getting too cold as dangerous for 8 week olds as is it for hatchlings?

When I move them out for the entire night it will have to be without a head lamp. We have way too much dense vegetation and trees for it to be safe

 

[KKatknap]

When I "wean" them off the heat lamp, I just keep gradually raising it up higher until it pretty much isn't helping them. If you have been raising it up every week (or so), then you're all set, I think.

I bought my very first pullets at 8 weeks - they were fully feathered and I just put them right out in their chicken tractor. They did just fine.

I bet yours will do just great.

 

[Morgan7782]

This is my first time raising chickens by the book. My first batch I learned what I know from an old time rancher. I kept them outside with a heat light until 5-6 weeks old, then he said they were feathered and they went without the heat light. They ended up living lol.

I have the heat light raised enough to where it's hardly felt in the brooder. Not sure why I have it on at all LOL. I am sure they will be fine, I am just a nervous nelly. They gotta go out sometime right? Don't think Mom would be thrilled to have 'house chickens' hehe

the thing that is keeping me up is that I won't know what the temp is at 2 or 3am. It won't get below 44 though, for SURE.

 

[elmo]

Oh, I know how you feel! I kept mine in a brooder indoors at night last summer long past the time when they would have been fine outdoors. It finally took a pecking order squabble in the brooder because of too little space to force me to make the transition to the big coop outdoors. And our summer night time temps were dipping maybe into the upper 70's.

Right now I bring two of our hens with their chicks indoors at night to sleep in separate dog crates in our indoor bird room. It's an enormous hassle moving them back and forth every morning and again every night, but I'd worry otherwise. We have another hen and her chicks who sleep in our closed coop, and these two other hens would have to bunk in the secure run. But the idea of them being down on the ground outside makes me too nervous.