Heat lamp

[PoultryGirly]

Is there an exact time when you can remove the heat lamp on baby chicks? Is it when they have most of their feathers? Thanks!!!!

 

[kjt135]

I turned mine off and watched the chicks to see if they were ok with it. If after a few minutes maybe 30 checked to see if they were huddled together if not left it off. But mine are in house could make a differance.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Thanks. I think I'll be turning my lamp off soon. The chicks are a little over 3 weeks old, but they have a lot of feathers. My chicks are also in the house.

 

[Queen of the chickens]

We start ours at 90-95 degrees as hatchlings and then step it down 5 degrees a week until you get them down to about 70 degrees. It usually takes us 4-5 weeks, just depending on the temp in the house. When we moved them out to the tractors or coops, we use the light again as a precaution and to lure them inside the building. We do this until night temps are in the 60s and 70s or they have completely feathered.

 

[Fierlin1182]

We turned the heat lamp off at around 4 weeks. But it really depends on how fast your chickens are growing. Even if it seems like they've got a lot of feathers, they may not be ready yet, as was the case for us. Good luck!

 

[ljb1961]

If you have a hardy breed like RIR, BR etc. then chicks at 3 weeks are tougher than most people think. Unless the temps are down in the 30's I do not use the heatlamp after 2 weeks. I raise mine in a unheated shed. After 3 weeks mine normally have most of their feathers, so I move them out to the coop and run with no light. I have never had a problem.
A word of caution to everyone who has chicks in the house, It can lead to very serious health problems. My wife has lung scaring from when we use to keep a cock-a-teal. The damage to her lungs is permanent, she gives out of breath just walking to our mailbox. Her lung doc said he treats a lot of people from where they keep birds in the house. She was only in her 40's when she first discovered the problem. She is very sweet and does not blame me, but it was my fault as the bird was a surprise birthday present.

 

[TexGal]

I am wondering with the heat lamp being on all the time, how safe is it with a metal cage? Im using a big bird cage for now, and its getting pretty hot to the touch. I have cardboard around the bottom to keep in the shavings, and so the chicks aren't touching the hot metal. I just want to make sure this is safe?