heating lamp to the great out doors

[Lilla]

i dont know if this is the place to ask but here i go
my chicks are 10 weeks old and still live inside with their heating lamp at 70 degrees. i know they should be outside but we are building a coop and we are almost done. id like to put them outside tomorrow but the average temperature here is 45 degrees and i don't want to wake up to dead birds. so my questions is it okay to put them out side right away or is there some transition we should do.

p.s they are Barred Rock chicks
thank you

 

[cavemanrich]

You most likely should have discontinues the indoor heating lamp at 5 or 6 weeks. (suggested rate is to lower temp by 5 degrees each week) This way your chicks would have finished feathering out their 2 last weeks with no lamp. They would also have developed hardiness to the ambient. 60 to 70 degrees in your home. At 10 weeks they should be feathered out. Let them out into the outdoors and observe. 45 degrees, they should be able to handle it. If the temps were to drop below freezing, then it would be a slightly different story. They are still young and not as hardy as adults.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Agree with above. They should have been off heat a month ago, at least. And keeping them on the heat can slow feather growth. I'd start by shutting that off during the day. Just not using it anymore. They will complain, but if they get cold they'll just sit together and share body heat. Don't worry about it. Once your done with your coop, put them out. They should be fine.

 

[chickens really]

Actually they will be fine..They will thank you...

 

[Mrs. K]

Put them out for a while, bring them back in for a warm up, repeat a few times, and then outside for good.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your chicks should have been weaned off heat if they were in the house at 3 weeks of age. Turn that lamp off.

Ideally, you would start turning the lamp off for increasingly longer periods of time during week 2. Turn lamp off completely after week 3. Give them outdoor time every day, and if you bring them back into the house at night, open the window in the room they are in to cool that room down. Increase time outdoors week 4. Move them into the coop full time at end of week 5. If you are concerned about them getting chilled after week 3, give them a huddle box.