Heating Chicks

[junebuggena]

LG, question about how/when they wean themselves off the heat? My chicks are 3 weeks old, in the coop with a heat plate from day one, temps as low as 30 but it's warming up. They are almost feathered out, still fluffy necks and butts.
Do they just stop going under to warm up?
Mine are not under it nearly as much as they used to be.

Thanks

Gary

Correct. They just stop using it.

 

[azygous]

For the benefit of those who are concerned about the heat guidelines, a better way to approach it is to set as your goal to wean chicks off heat as they grow in their feathers. The heat guidelines stress the heat aspect without explaining why chicks need heat, and that they need to be exposed to cool temperatures at the same time they have heat. You are reducing the heat temperature as they grow in feathers, and the five degrees per week is strictly a starting point. Chicks will determine how much heat they need and you can judge how much to give them by the amount of feathering you see on them.

You need to be weaning your chicks off heat beginning with their second week. If you are brooding indoors in a heated room, you need to expose your chicks to cooler temps, either by turning down the ambient heat in the room or taking your chicks outdoors for day romps. They can handle short periods away from a heat source beginning at two weeks, gradually extending that period as they grow feathers and acclimatize.

By age three weeks, they no longer require heat during the day as long as the ambient temp is 70F or more. By age four weeks, if they have been gradually exposed to cooler temps, they no longer need heat at night.

 

[MalloryChick912]

Great info! We will start outside trips this week!

 

[Goodfolk]

Thank you! That was a very helpful post!