Ditching the heat lamp

[bunky8384]

I feel a little silly for needing to ask this BUT my main group of chicks are now 5 and 6 weeks. They all seem to be completely feathered out to me (chicken novice over here!). They are out in their coop, we live in SW MI, temps for the next 10 days are supposed to be in the mid 70’s during the day and upper 50’s at night. I just got 6 more chicks that are a week old, two of which have pasty butt so I’m keeping them separated from the rest for a couple of weeks and plan to move the brooder into the coop after that. Is it OK to pull the heat lamp from the older girls at this point and use it for the new babies? Or should I go buy a second lamp?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Definitely pull the heat lamp.
It is a bit warmer here in mid Missouri but I put 10 and 14 day old chicks out without heat a few days ago.
I now use a premier 1 heat plate but before that I used ceramic heat emitters. I haven't used a heat lamp in years. That allows for a dark period each day.

 

[DobieLover]

Use the lamp for the young ones. Provide a cozy cubby for the older chicks and they will huddle at night and be just fine.

 

[Chickadooo]

Use the lamp for the young ones. Provide a cozy cubby for the older chicks and they will huddle at night and be just fine.

I'm wondering the same thing here, mine are about 4.5 wks & 3 wks old.. It's about 70 in their coop, supposed to get down to 62 outside temp. They are all huddled together, I think just because they aren't used to the dark.. I read from another post and another member that the chicks can smother eachother if they huddle. That seems like a load of crap but I thought I would check with other people.

 

[DobieLover]

My 11 chicks stuffed themselves into a 12 x 12 inch nest box when they were 5.5 weeks old. I mean STUFFED. They are all still alive and well at 20 weeks. I think the suffocating risk applies to much smaller chicks.

 

[Chickadooo]

My 11 chicks stuffed themselves into a 12 x 12 inch nest box when they were 5.5 weeks old. I mean STUFFED. They are all still alive and well at 20 weeks. I think the suffocating risk applies to much smaller chicks.

I do have a few chicks who are on the small side compared to my bigger ones.. but the bigger ones are more feathered out and seem to not get so huddled up with the rest. Should be fine, I'm just a worry wart

 

[aart]

I'd have had them off the heat at about 4 weeks...have they been avoiding the heat lamp? Have you been reducing the heat it puts into the brooder?

If your brooder is split with mesh and you move the lamp to the littler ones,
the biggers might try to get back to it. Maybe put lamp near separating mesh?
Pics of your brooder setup?