Chicks moved to the coop, and not using the light....

[grullablue]

My chicks are 5 weeks old......and I was a little concerned before I moved them (I posted about this a few days ago even, if they were "smart enough"...)

They are in the coop now. Fresh shavings, they're drinking, eating, have lots of space to run around, and I've been spending lots of time with them just playing, petting....helping them get accustomed to their new area. They have a roost about their size, but not using it yet. The heat lamp is situated in an area that should keep the water from freezing, and also give them an area to sleep and stay warm. But I may need to lower it a little, as I have a thermometer there, and it's 65 degrees under the lamp.

They are feathered nicely, and have been brooded in my garage, and have been using a 125 watt bulb...but now in the coop I bumped back up to the 250.

It's insulated, deeply bedded, and there are 10 of them to keep warm. So should I be concerned if they don't use the light I have there for them? They aren't huddling too much either, a few in a corner, but every time I go out, some are scattered about eating, drinking, or just relaxing.

Temps here today were around 50, but low around 28.

Angie

 

[Chirpy]

Certainly keep the light available for them for a while yet. It sounds like they are doing just fine though. You seem to have a good eye on knowing how they are doing by just watching them so continue to keep that eye on them. If they are too cold they will huddle together much of the time.

 

[grullablue]

Thanks for the reply!

I checked on them again for the last time about 11 last night, it was about 28 degrees outside, they were sleeping, huddled together in a corner near where the light was, but not under it. I have the water, food and light kind of in the same corner for them (this is an 8' x 8' area). But when I came out, they got up, started moving around, a couple eating....just acting normal. I picked a couple up, they were quite warm underneath their feathers.

I was eager to check on them this morning, they were moving around eating, drinking, and just being chicks. So....the light is there if they want it....but they don't seem to want it too badly! I'm a worrier by nature, but they are only 5 weeks old and outgrew the brooder!

Angie

 

[mjdtexan]

Sounds like you are giving them everything they need to me. A word of caution. My pullets who are now 20 weeks old will not go into their coop at night unless there is a little red light on for them. I dont know why but the will not go in unless it is on for them. They will all get on the gangplank that leads up into the coop but will not go in. Its kinda funny.

 

[HenHaven]

I live in California where the weather is milder, and I put 1-week-olds in a coop with a light and "warming hut". It is an enclosure that the chicks can go in and out of to adjust for warmth. Most of the time, at least during daytime temps, they are running around the coop scratching and having a great ol' time.

Because it is not on a thermostat, the temps do fluctuate. I adjust the height of the lamp manually, lowering it quite a bit for the lower nighttime temps. Sometimes the area under the light is only in the 70's, and they are fine--not huddled or cold. By the strict standards, week-olds would need 90 degrees.

I got a little braver with the temp thing after seeing chicks out with the mother hens. They ran around half the day, keeping up with mom, getting warmed up when they would go back to the nesting area periodically. It made me realize that healthy chicks are really quite resilient.

Note: I'm not recommending this method to anyone--just posting what is working for me and my particular situation. I think this is an interesting discussion, and I love to hear what others are doing.

 

[Blondie]

I put my chicks out in the coop when they were 4 days old. Temps were/are 40 degrees at night to 75 degrees during the day. Today it's rainy and about 50 degrees. I live in central Georgia. I do have two heat lamps, and like the previous posts, they come and go under the heat.

Yesterday they were 2 weeks old. Here's a pic from this morning:

I put a branch in the corner - they love it: