HELP!! How cold is too cold for chicks?

[kleeo12]

Ive got a group of 5 and 6 week old chicks and im wondering if they are going to be warm enough?? I have heat lamps in each cage, and one cage is covered with blankets and the other is covered with tarps......Its currently 32 degrees and still dropping, do you think what I have rigged up will be good?

 

[CatsvsDogs]

We had an arctic blast come through the NW last week and I had 25, 4week old Freedom Rangers outside the whole time. It got below 10 degrees several times. I had heat lamps going the whole time and it would be averaging 15-20 degrees in the coop through out the week. They all lived and are looking really good. I will probably just forgo starting birds in the winter.

 

[kleeo12]

Oooooh that makes me feel so much better

Thank you!! LOL We are expected to be in the low 20's tonight but I think with the heat lamps and cages being draft protected, Im on the right track to keep them safe! Im just a worried mama and would feel so awful if I lost them due to not being warm enough! Last night ,I sent my husband out at 3am to check on everybody heehee
Oh and I have Silkie's and Mille Fleur d'Uccles

 

[abhaya]

as long as they have heat lamps and are draft free they should be good. You can tell by the chucks if it is ok for them if they are nuttled together in a gang right under the light they are probably cold if they are scattered around wings out away from the light they are hot. I use a small plastic thermometer on the bottom of the brooder under the heat lamp it should stay around 95 ish for young chicks. Back it off about 5 degrees a week after 2 weeks.

 

[iluvsedward]

that reminds me, this morning i got up, went outside, and the ******* lightbulb was out!!!! the bulb was cold and they were huddled together i was so mad it had been in the 20s last night poor things!!! but they were all safe

 

[Kickin' Chickin']

About how old should the chicks be before you start the "acclimating"

 

[GreenDragonFarm]

Bumping this to see if we can get an answer to Kickin's question.

My 8 are about 7 weeks old & seem to do ok down to about 30. Last night when I went out to check on them, it was below 30 in the uninsulated coop & they looked miserable. There were ice chips in the water. We have a heat lamp, but it doesn't seem to help much unless they're right under it, and they don't all fit. I had my son hang a small space heater out there & we turned it on to the lowest setting just to keep it above freezing. Now I'm worrying if I should have just let them start adjusting. It doesn't often get below 20 at night where we live, so if they could get adjusted to that, they'll be great, but to me they're just babies. Our roo still doesn't have all his feathers.

I've been reading the 'cold' threads, but it seems most of them are about chickens that are pretty much full grown.
Thanks!