Heat Lamp Question

[Chollister6]

Good Morning,

I have 4 babies that were born 2/6/19 so they are just under 4 weeks old. I NEED them out of my bathroom. So last night I was setting up a bigger brooder in the garage and turned on the heat lamp to warm it up before they went out there and the bulb burnt out. I have ordered a new one but it won't come for 2 days. I am keeping them in the bathroom for now and I left my heater on for them while I'm at work and I put a heating pad on top of the brooder and a towel on an other section to try and keep them as warm as possible but it is still only 70 degrees. Anything else I can do until my bulb comes? Will they be okay? I am in Southern California so it isn't terribly cold here.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Good Morning,

I have 4 babies that were born 2/6/19 so they are just under 4 weeks old. I NEED them out of my bathroom. So last night I was setting up a bigger brooder in the garage and turned on the heat lamp to warm it up before they went out there and the bulb burnt out. I have ordered a new one but it won't come for 2 days. I am keeping them in the bathroom for now and I left my heater on for them while I'm at work and I put a heating pad on top of the brooder and a towel on an other section to try and keep them as warm as possible but it is still only 70 degrees. Anything else I can do until my bulb comes? Will they be okay? I am in Southern California so it isn't terribly cold here.

At 4 weeks old inside the house with a heating pad, they should be fine.
Are they peeping loudly? If you have been providing heat all this time, now with a burned out bulb, this is your chance to wean them off heat completely.
Photos of the chicks are always welcome.

How cold are your temperatures? Do you have a coop/run ready for your babies?

 

[Ridgerunner]

When you get home turn all that supplemental heat off and see how they react. At four weeks they should be fine at 70 degrees. Totally absolutely fine. If they get cold they will give a plaintive peep, very easy to distinguish because it is heart-rending. They might give that same peep if you turn the light off and they are in the dark for the first time so just because you hear that peep doesn't mean they are cold. So leave the bathroom light on so you will know what is causing it if it happens.

What is your overnight low in the garage? What is your overnight low outside? At four weeks in southern California they probably don't need heat in the garage if it is attached, maybe even if it is not attached.

Read up on the heating pad cave. People brood chicks with those outside even when the lows are below freezing. If you really need them out of your bathroom set up a heating pad cave in that brooder.

 

[Chollister6]

At 4 weeks old inside the house with a heating pad, they should be fine.
Are they peeping loudly? If you have been providing heat all this time, now with a burned out bulb, this is your chance to wean them off heat completely.
Photos of the chicks are always welcome.

How cold are your temperatures? Do you have a coop/run ready for your babies?

I'm so bad at pictures I only have some from the first day I got them. I plan on taking them out of the brooder and putting them in a prefab coop we have in the garage until they are 8 weeks old and then they will run along side of our existing flock but fenced in separately. Right now we are about 70 during the day but 40 at night. I honestly haven't been home with them to hear if they are peeping loud still.

 

[Chollister6]

When you get home turn all that supplemental heat off and see how they react. At four weeks they should be fine at 70 degrees. Totally absolutely fine. If they get cold they will give a plaintive peep, very easy to distinguish because it is heart-rending. They might give that same peep if you turn the light off and they are in the dark for the first time so just because you hear that peep doesn't mean they are cold. So leave the bathroom light on so you will know what is causing it if it happens.

What is your overnight low in the garage? What is your overnight low outside? At four weeks in southern California they probably don't need heat in the garage if it is attached, maybe even if it is not attached.

Read up on the heating pad cave. People brood chicks with those outside even when the lows are below freezing. If you really need them out of your bathroom set up a heating pad cave in that brooder.

Our low outside right now has been about 40 so I think between 50-60 in the garage. I will have to pay attention to their noises. Unfortunately i have been at work all day so I don't even know how they are doing.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

At 4 weeks old I threw my chicks to the pen to be with the adults and they did fine. Or at least they didn't die.......

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

They'll be just fine. You can find heat lamp bulbs at most stores.

 

[Chicka_deee]

Like a lot of people have said they should be fine at 4 weeks and be aware of their sounds and if they cry that are probably too cold — also if it is too cold some chicks don’t cry and instead huddle close together sometimes leading to smuggleing each other on accident. Because there are only 4 chicks that would probably not happen although they might huddle together still.

One last question; have you let them outside yet just to wander around for about 5-7 minutes? If so, how did they act? When did you put them outside/how old where they?

 

[aart]

You can find heat lamp bulbs at most stores.

But be careful to only get ones made for poultry...
....other heat bulbs can have teflon safety coating that are toxic to birds.

 

[Helloworld]

Heating pads turn off after 2 hrs and at 4 weeks they should be kept at 80.
5 degree drop weekly. Of course they will be fine and chicken people worry too much so my suggestion is to sooth your soul and give u hope ;-)

Rice is a great heater. Put dry uncooked rice in pillowcase or small cloth bag about size of gallon ziplock. Microwave for about 2 minutes and immediately wrap with towel and place into place u have them.
If very hot and wrapped with towel, I have had a rice bag last 6-8 hrs. You could do a couple and place at the end of each container.

Save rice and repeat. I use for myself on sore muscles. Works great. You can also use dried beans but rice is softer and seems to hold heat longer to me.