Heat or No Heat

[ChickenLady&aRooster]

Okay we moved to South Carolina and am new to raising chickens in the south. I have 3 hens and rooster and 6 - 3 week old chicks still inside under constant heat. was wondering what everyone thinks of heating the coop once I move the babies outside in 4 to 6 weeks, it will be getting cooler out and we do get winter her with some nights dipping down to the high 30's but not til January. Others in my area say no heat but I am a little worried about that being from the north and to me cold is cold.

Any advise?

 

[Folly's place]

I move my brooder raised chicks to the coop in a fenced-off area, with their heat lamp, when they are just under three weeks of age. By the time they are feathered out at five weeks or so, the heat lamp is off, and they begin to integrate into the flock; meeting outside at first, and very gradually fitting in. Mary

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

If one stays outside all day, one gets used to the cold. When you step inside, it almost feels too hot. But if you were inside all day, where it's warm, the outside weather seems harsh, so you are inclined to stay inside.

Same goes for chickens.

If they have a heat source, they are likely to stay by it and not get used to the cold.

 

[SueT]

At 4 weeks, they'll be fine out in unheated coop. Turn off their heat source now to acclimate them to cooler temps. I moved mine out to coop at 4 weeks this past spring, no heat, temps in 40s, and they did fine. Many threads advise the same.

 

[lazy gardener]

Those chicks should be completely off heat if they are in your house at 3 weeks. They should be just fine outside this time of year, especially in your area at 4 weeks. I'm in central Maine, and my outdoor brooded chicks wean themselves off heat at 4 weeks of age, in early May. It's not at all uncommon for us to have night time frosts, and day time temps down into the 40's at that time.

 

[ChickenLady&aRooster]

Thanks everyone. We have since shut their heat indoors and are waiting to make sure Jose isn't going to hit us before we move them to the coop but out they'll go in a week or so.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Those chicks should be completely off heat if they are in your house at 3 weeks. They should be just fine outside this time of year, especially in your area at 4 weeks. I'm in central Maine, and my outdoor brooded chicks wean themselves off heat at 4 weeks of age, in early May. It's not at all uncommon for us to have night time frosts, and day time temps down into the 40's at that time.

X2

 

[debid]

I start chicks outside in early spring so I see things you haven't yet... like tiny chicks running around in freezing weather. They return to their heat source just to warm a bit before charging out to explore some more. When it's wet and windy, they'll stand around their doorway watching the world outside. Once you've watched all of this while shivering in a sweatshirt, you realize how incredible feathers are and you stop worrying so much about the cold.

 

[ChickenLady&aRooster]

So we have moved the babies outside to their mini coop and they love it, getting to see their soon to be new roomies. Thanks for the info.