Couple of chick questions!!

[NonnasBabies]

I have 15 - 4 week old BR pullets. I just built a new and larger brooder for them yesterday. O. K. My questions are this. When are they considered completly feathered out??? And once they are feathered out can I remove the heat lamp and place the brooder next to my outside coop so #1. I can start getting my other 3 hens and rooster used to them. #2. So they don't keep my porch so messy!!


Any help would be appreciated.

Thank
Missi

 

[barredrockmama]

At a month old they should be fine to go outside without a heat lamp unless it is extremely cold where you are.

 

[Wildsky]

I started turning off the heat lamp during the day when they didn't seem that interested in crowding around under it.

I moved my entire brooder out into my coop when the chicks were around 5-6 weeks old - but it was warmer than it is now!
(I don't like to have babies when its creeping in winter time)

 

[NonnasBabies]

Thanks for your replies.

Right now I do turn the light off during the day. I keep them on the back porch. And the temps during the day are now down to the mid 80's. Night time temps are from 65-75. The do still like to be close to the heat lamp at night though. That's what really had me wondering.

Thanks again.
Missi

 

[Wildsky]

Leave the heatlamp off a little longer each day and into the evening, or move it further away from them.

I would think with your temps they could go out by 6 weeks old, but you don't want to shock them into it.

(do you have room for me? I'm COLD!!!)

Edit to add: When I introduced some chicks after leaving them in their brooder for a while with the older chickens, I cut a hole in the fencing on my brooder so the chicks could go in and out but the big boogers couldn't get in. (I do have bantams, and they started going into the brooder to lay eggs

)

 

[NonnasBabies]

Quote:
Hey come on down. We're so tired of this wretched heat. But hey at least we're not in the 100's anymore. I'm ready for some cold weather.

Thanks for the info. With the other brooder the heat lamp covered the entire thing. This new brooder I built yesterday is 7 ft long 3 1/2 ft high and 2 1/2 ft wide so the heat lamp only covers one side. I'll keep watching them and see how they act without turning on the lamp on tonight making sure they don't do the pile up thing.

I like the idea you had with the brooder going in th coop. The only problem is this new one I made is about 5 ft tall legs and all.

Thanks again.
Missi