My first hens are turning six now. I've bought day old chicks and hatched many too. The past few years, I've pushed the limits on heat and find taking them off after a week or two, depending, has worked fine for me. I even had a brood that freaked out when I cleaned their pen and refused to sleep under the brooder after just one day. It made me wonder why I'm baking the li'l buggers for so long if they get by without the heat. I undoubtedly will ruffle many feathers when I admit I take heat away so soon. There are so many factors to how much heat you need; breed, drafts, quantity of chicks, space..... I just put out 18-two week old and ten 1-week old chicks in their coop outside, no heat. It will be in the mid fifties tonight and I'm not worried at all.
I guess what I'm saying is you eventually get to know what works best for you.
Happy chicking!
I guess what I'm saying is you eventually get to know what works best for you.
Happy chicking!