Do they need heat at this age (5 weeks)

[kengboss21]

I live in NYC. Current temperatures at night fall to the 30°s sometimes below freezing and sometimes above freezing, but stays around this temp range til January. I have 6 chicks they’re around 5 weeks old, wondering if they need their brooder plate still. Attached is also a pic of one of the chicks to ask if they’re feathered out okay for the winter yet

 

[Debbie292d]

What breed are they? Five weeks old seems a little young to me to be in below-freezing temps. Usually, if it's 50F or less at night at that age, ours have a Cozy Coop radiant heater and they sure cuddled up to it.

 

[NatJ]

I live in NYC. Current temperatures at night fall to the 30°s sometimes below freezing and sometimes above freezing, but stays around this temp range til January. I have 6 chicks they’re around 5 weeks old, wondering if they need their brooder plate still.

Have you looked at them during the night, especially just before sunup, to see if they are actually using the brooder plate?

If they are sleeping as far away as they can get, they definitely do not need the heat. If they are cuddled up in the warmest area, they probably still need the heat, but there is a chance they are just sleeping that way from habit.

If their behavior does not make it obvious, maybe leave the brooder plate in for another week or two and see how they are doing then.

It is common for a coop to stay a bit warmer than the outside temperature. Do you have a thermometer to see how cold the coop itself is actually getting? At that temperature, checking for ice in the water is another way to get an idea of how cold the coop is getting inside.

 

[AidKD]

I have chicks who were about 3 weeks when the freezing temps came and as long as they were in out of the wind they were fine.

 

[kengboss21]

yea after week 4 I checked on them and they still slept under the plate. Week 5 I unplugged it and taught them to sleep on the roost and they’ve been doing so for the past few days. I will check for huddling in a corner to see if I need to add the plate back! Thanks

 

[Debbie292d]

I have chicks who were about 3 weeks when the freezing temps came and as long as they were in out of the wind they were fine.

Holy buckets, what breed is that? I'm just shocked as I can't even imagine these 5-week-old silkies I have in my living room brooder being able to go outside when it was 20F. I tried it and they played for about two minutes, then stood there shaking. I thought I'd be stuck with them inside for another month or two, but if we can get through the snow to get to the temp coop, there's a hutch in there with a Cozy Coop heater inside of it. I think you're inspiring me to try this sooner.

 

[Rose Quartz]

I live in NYC. Current temperatures at night fall to the 30°s sometimes below freezing and sometimes above freezing, but stays around this temp range til January. I have 6 chicks they’re around 5 weeks old, wondering if they need their brooder plate still. Attached is also a pic of one of the chicks to ask if they’re feathered out okay for the winter yet

I live in NS, I think our weather is pretty similar. I'd wait until 6 weeks. I've lost chicks younger than that to cold when they were with a broody.

 

[AidKD]

Holy buckets, what breed is that? I'm just shocked as I can't even imagine these 5-week-old silkies I have in my living room brooder being able to go outside when it was 20F. I tried it and they played for about two minutes, then stood there shaking. I thought I'd be stuck with them inside for another month or two, but if we can get through the snow to get to the temp coop, there's a hutch in there with a Cozy Coop heater inside of it. I think you're inspiring me to try this sooner.

3 of them are Orpingtons which I've been breeding for a long time, the other 3 are a barnyard mix which I'm raising for someone else. The temps at night were in the upper 20's so there were a couple of times that I got a jar and put hot water in for them to snuggle around. They seemed to like that at night, but ignored it during the day. There would be some days that they would kinda have their feathers fluffed up like they were cold, but they still prefered to run around and play opposed to staying warm by the jars. Everytime I opened the door they would try to escape, but I didn't want them outside yet as I thought it was too cold for them still with daytime being in the 40's. But finally one day I just let them go and they've been outside ever since! Minus a couple of days here and there were it's been 3° out. They're about 6 weeks now I believe. They've got all their adult feathers now

 

[Debbie292d]

3 of them are Orpingtons which I've been breeding for a long time, the other 3 are a barnyard mix which I'm raising for someone else. The temps at night were in the upper 20's so there were a couple of times that I got a jar and put hot water in for them to snuggle around. They seemed to like that at night, but ignored it during the day. There would be some days that they would kinda have their feathers fluffed up like they were cold, but they still prefered to run around and play opposed to staying warm by the jars. Everytime I opened the door they would try to escape, but I didn't want them outside yet as I thought it was too cold for them still with daytime being in the 40's. But finally one day I just let them go and they've been outside ever since! Minus a couple of days here and there were it's been 3° out. They're about 6 weeks now I believe. They've got all their adult feathers now

These are just 5 weeks. I'll wait another couple of weeks to try it as they aren't fully feathered yet. I initially had February/March in mind but I will try it way sooner!

 

[AidKD]

These are just 5 weeks. I'll wait another couple of weeks to try it as they aren't fully feathered yet. I initially had February/March in mind but I will try it way sooner!

Pretty! I've never owned silkies before, but it would seem like maybe they wouldn't do as good as other breeds in the cold cause of how their feathers are?