Chilly nights coming

[primatologica]

Hi all. I have six chickens, 3 who are 5 weeks old and 3 who are 6 weeks old. They've been living full-time outside for one week, with overnight temperatures at 55 F at the coldest and ranging in the seventies and eighties in the day. We're getting a cold front in a day or so where we'll have a few days with highs in the upper 40s/lower fifties and lows in the upper thirties. Will my girls be ok, or need supplemental heat? Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[All4Eggz]

Hi all. I have six chickens, 3 who are 5 weeks old and 3 who are 6 weeks old. They've been living full-time outside for one week, with overnight temperatures at 55 F at the coldest and ranging in the seventies and eighties in the day. We're getting a cold front in a day or so where we'll have a few days with highs in the upper 40s/lower fifties and lows in the upper thirties. Will my girls be ok, or need supplemental heat? Thanks for your thoughts!

I would add supplement heat in the coop, but not too much. They should be fine without it, but just to be safe, I'd do it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They're fine without it. I wean my chicks off heat at 4 weeks old at 40-50F, your chicks are older than that and already moved out, no reason to go backwards.

 

[primatologica]

Thanks. I put a heating plate in the coop last night and they seemed fine. It's wet and cold today, but they are out in their run. They don't seem happy (don't blame them!) but they aren't huddling or acting cold. The heat plate is still on in the coop, but they haven't gone in during the day to warm up at all. Looking forward to the temperature heating up again in a few days.