Do I Take Away the Heat Lamp??

[DelR]

I have baby silkies that just reached 2 weeks old yesterday. I’m starting to think about if I should begin taking heat away from them in about a week. They are under the heat lamp 24/7 but I do take them out for about 15-20 minutes every day. They walk around just fine and love being out! I am wondering what everyone else did with the heat lamp situation?

 

[FluffyBottomBantams]

Where do you live? Is it cold where you are?
How feathered in are they ?

 

[rosemarythyme]

At this age you want to start reducing the temperature slowly and gradually. Don't take the lamp away, but begin raising it (or use lower wattage bulbs) to lower the temperatures they're exposed to.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I don't take the heat away until 9 weeks in spring. I reduce the heat- currently I have 11 week old chicks, they still have a lamp.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I don't take the heat away until 9 weeks in spring. I reduce the heat- currently I have 11 week old chicks, they still have a lamp.

That seems like a long time with heat - is this for Silkies too?

 

[Ridgerunner]

One question is where are you located? What kind of temperatures are you seeing, either during the day when you take then out or the lows at night?

More importantly, where are they kept? Is the brooder outside where they see the temperature swings or are they inside a climate controlled house? What kind of conditions are they in now? Help us out a little bit so we know what your options are.

In general I suggest letting the chicks tell you what they need. In a ridiculous heat wave and brooding outside I once turned daytime heat off at 2 days and nighttime heat off at 5 days. Their behaviors told me they did not need it and they were much happier when I turned the heat off. In cooler weather I don't do that.

If they are hot they will get as far away from the heat as they can. If they are cold they will get as close to the heat as they can, usually in a group and giving a plaintive chirp. That is such a sad sound you know something is wrong. If it is right they scatter throughout the brooder. I brood outside and have a 3' x 6' brooder. I keep one end warm with a heat lamp but it's well enough ventilated that the far end can be 40 degrees or more cooler. Many people would be surprised how much time they spend in cooler temperatures, just going back to the heat when they need to warm up. A broody hen can raise them in snow doing this, just warming them up when they need it.

 

[DelR]

One question is where are you located? What kind of temperatures are you seeing, either during the day when you take then out or the lows at night?

More importantly, where are they kept? Is the brooder outside where they see the temperature swings or are they inside a climate controlled house? What kind of conditions are they in now? Help us out a little bit so we know what your options are.

In general I suggest letting the chicks tell you what they need. In a ridiculous heat wave and brooding outside I once turned daytime heat off at 2 days and nighttime heat off at 5 days. Their behaviors told me they did not need it and they were much happier when I turned the heat off. In cooler weather I don't do that.

If they are hot they will get as far away from the heat as they can. If they are cold they will get as close to the heat as they can, usually in a group and giving a plaintive chirp. That is such a sad sound you know something is wrong. If it is right they scatter throughout the brooder. I brood outside and have a 3' x 6' brooder. I keep one end warm with a heat lamp but it's well enough ventilated that the far end can be 40 degrees or more cooler. Many people would be surprised how much time they spend in cooler temperatures, just going back to the heat when they need to warm up. A broody hen can raise them in snow doing this, just warming them up when they need it.

Sorry I wasn’t getting notifications!! We are in nevada and they are kept indoors. We have a kiddy pool for them with a wall around it and a plastic garden “wire/fence”. We don’t have windows open so there’s no breeze. Our house is 62-63° generally.

 

[DelR]

Where do you live? Is it cold where you are?
How feathered in are they ?

Nevada! And yea it is about 40-50° this time of year. They are in the house and it’s about 62-63° they are quite feathered, we can’t see any skin and their wings have showed up and growing by the day!

 

[DelR]

At this age you want to start reducing the temperature slowly and gradually. Don't take the lamp away, but begin raising it (or use lower wattage bulbs) to lower the temperatures they're exposed to.

I have a heat lamp with 3 settings. I didn’t know this until I tried to raise it and the whole thing came out haha. So I can’t raise it any more, any tips?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have a heat lamp with 3 settings. I didn’t know this until I tried to raise it and the whole thing came out haha. So I can’t raise it any more, any tips?

Reducing wattage of bulb would be the easiest alternative. Are you using a red bulb? The reptile section of a pet store should have a good selection of lower watt red bulbs, or you can even try a ceramic bulb if you want heat without the extra light.