Got our first little chicks....some questions! :)

[truebluexf]

We got cute 3 week old australorps. I was told by the breeder that they need a light for another month...is that right? Our other chicks are about 6-8 weeks old, and we've had them out for a couple weeks since we got them. These little ones of course don't have their feathers yet. Do they really need to be indoors that long? How hot do they need to be? We only have 2 of these so that may be a warmth issue. DH is building them a box as we speak, but I wonder how necessary it is, and if he should be building them a mini a-frame coop instead (to keep them separate from the others for a few weeks.)

 

[MyPetsMakeMeBreakfast]

you really only need to have them on a heating lamp until they are 6-8 weeks old, atleast thats what I heard.

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Austarlorps mature fast and they are very cold hardy. I had my heat lamp set to make the brooder 95 degrees when I brought my chicks home at three days old. Within minutes they had their wings spread and were panting. I had to bring the brooder temp down to the high 80's before they stopped panting. I had them on an unheated back porch and by the time they were four weeks old, they were staying as far away from the lamp as the brooder would allow, so I turned it off. They were getting behind the gallon waterer to get away from the heat. By five weeks they were fully feathered and the days were in the 50's and 60's and night temps in the 40's and out they went. They did great and they even stayed out in the rain and wind, and resisted efforts to get them to stay in the coop during nasty weather. I had six chicks, not two, but when they were too warm they didn't sleep close together.

 

[kemclaughlin]

I have a 100 watt bulb over mine and I turn it off at night. They are happy and just fine. The youngest are about a month old and the oldest are almost 7 weeks. My babies still have the heat lamp on them.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

At 3 weeks, they can be in a coop with a tiny run as long as they can go right back to their heat lamp 24/7 when they need it at THIS time of year (not winter).

And make sure they do, as some will just stand there and freeze rather than go back to the lamp. It is an individual thing, I have found from experience.

But they need to have access to the correct temperature 24/7 until fully feathered, usually 6 weeks of age. I like to run a 100 watt bulb in the coop to transition them to no heat - wintertime they get heat until 2 months.

When warmer temperatures are present, I use judgement and keep the light on at night.

They might survive when not fully feathered (I mean feathers on the head also) without a light but they won't be happy/safe/comfortable. If you have to choose between a brooder and no heat, choose the brooder.

 

[truebluexf]

Thanks. It's warming up here so they should be ok outside sooner, it seems. It's 78 out right now, we are already at 70's or more for day and 60 at night. At any rate, DH just built them a nice big box to live inside for now.

It will either become the bunny's inside house after (lol) or a temporary coop til we are ready to introduce these little girls to the bigger girls. Our other babies seem HUGE compared to them now, LOL!

 

[truebluexf]

Ok, so baby girls are in their little brooder under a light, and it's about 82 degrees. They are hanging out under the light but not huddled, so does that seem like it's the right temp for them then? If they're too cold they'd huddle up, right?

 

[truebluexf]

LOL also...do they sleep??? Those poor little dears are wide awake under the light, and our outside chicks have been asleep for 2 hours! :lol

 

[Wildflower_VA]

If they are under the light and not huddled or panting, then the temp is just right. They are quick to let you know if they are cold or hot.

Yes, they do sleep, but the excitement of their new home is probably keeping them awake. They were probably with a lot of chicks before and this is new and different. At their age, they still should sleep a lot. Your outside chicks had the "lights" turned off, so they had little choice but go to sleep.

 

[tinydancer87]

Lol. My baby chicks don't know the difference between day or night! They are up in the middle of the night scratching and eating sometimes. With the light on all the time, they just go through these "cycles" of eat, play, sleep.