Heat lamp and 5 week olds???

[smitty750]

Do my 5 week old buff orpingtons and black australorps need a heat lamp indoors?? My ambient room temp is 70 and my heat lamp just blew. Coop won't be ready for another week

 

[boyswillbeboys]

if they are well fealthered i wouldn't worry about it, mine are 5 weeks and in the coop without a light. I have 12 EE's

 

[smitty750]

Ya they are def feathered.

 

[MadAngler]

Would you consider mine fully feathered? They are 4 week old red sex links.

 

[ASUJp4x4]

my black sex links and new hampshires just turned one week old and they prefer 80 degrees..... I'm not sure that I am on board with the whole idea of 95 degrees the first week and lower 5 every week. I think each flock is different.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do my 5 week old buff orpingtons and black australorps need a heat lamp indoors?? My ambient room temp is 70 and my heat lamp just blew. Coop won't be ready for another week

No they do not need heat in those temperatures. I was in a different situation but I've had 5 week olds in an unheated coop with the overnight lows in the mid 40's. I've had chicks less than 6 weeks old go through a night with the lows in the mid 20's. Some differences in yours and mine is that mine were raised in a brooder in the coop from when I took them out of the incubator. The brooder was fairly large and I only heated one end. The rest cooled off a lot. Those chicks played in the cooler end a lot and went back to the heat when they needed to warm up. By playing on the cooler end they became acclimated. I don't know where Bethel is or what the temperatures are there, but at 6 weeks there is a real good chance yours can go into the coop with no additional heat.

That 90 to 95 degree and drop it by 5 a week thing is a guideline, intended to keep people with no experience out of trouble in practically any circumstances. Even if you have a lousy brooder in a lousy place, if you keep one area that temperature your chicks will be warm enough. It is overkill for people with good brooders in stable conditions. The ideal brooder has one area that you keep warm enough but the rest can cool off a fair amount. That way the chicks can go to the heat if they need to warm up and get away from the heat if they are too warm. The chicks will self-regulate if you give them a chance. That way you don’t have to worry about keeping the entire brooder a perfect temperature.

 

[smitty750]

Mad angler I wouldn't consider yours fully feathered IMO

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

my black sex links and new hampshires just turned one week old and they prefer 80 degrees..... I'm not sure that I am on board with the whole idea of 95 degrees the first week and lower 5 every week. I think each flock is different.

Yep - I prefer to let my chicks guide the process, not a thermometer -- they will *tell* you when they are too hot, too cold or just right

 

[gander007]

A heat lamp at them temp's no it is time for them to grow and learn how to sleep at night and you save on your energy bill ...

They have feathers and can huddle together to keep warm .....