cool nights and 6 week old chicks

[seminolewind]

They are 6 weeks old, when do I have to add heat? They are just in a little coop right now

 

[heatherkh]

Do they have a broody momma taking care of them or are they on their own?

 

[seminolewind]

No broody mom, just the 2 of them I hatched.

 

[seminolewind]

Hubby says the 50's is too cold. Is it?

 

[mstricer]

Not with a light. This is a coop right?

 

[tritty74]

If they are fully feathered they will be just fine without a light. HEre in Wisconsin we have had some days that 50 is the high and ours haave been just fine. They are only 6-7 weeks old.

 

[JodyJo]

if fully feathered, they will be fine, no heat needed...It won't help them acclimate when it is cold.

 

[seminolewind]

Even if it's near 90 during the day and 55-60 at night?
Yes they are in a coop-a small dog house.

 

[rpchris]

I just put my 5 week olds in their new uninsulated, unheated coop. Overnight temps were upper 40's. They did fine.

Yours are older, more fully feathered and you have milder temps. They will be fine too.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You WANT them to acclimate to the coolness. If you allow nature to take its course, they'll grow and adjust their feathers to match, just fine. If you "hot house" grow the chicks after 6 weeks, they'll always need to be heated, which doesn't make a lot of sense for either them or the pocketbook. They won't smother each other now, as they are too strong and too big for that. They'll just huddle up if they need each other.