HELP! Supplemental Heat Question

[saltnprepper]

I have chicks that are fully feathered out, they will be 5 weeks old this Monday. The brooder is on an unheated uninsulated enclosed porch with a heat lamp. I have the heat lamp keep one corner of the brooder at about 72 degrees. I have read that I can take off the supplemental heat at 5 weeks. However I am in the pacific north west the ambient temp on the porch is about 60 degrees the outside night temps are high 30's or low 40's. At what point can I safely put them outside in the coop with no heat lamp? Do I need to put them in the large unheated garage for a week between the porch and going in the coop. The garage is huge and empty and not insulated so its about the same as the outdoor temps.

I have 7 chicks in the brooder but when they are ready to go outside they are being split between two coops. 3 in one and 4 in the other. My neighbor is taking 3 of them. I am keeping 4 of them.

Incase breed influences your answer:

Coop 1 will have, 1 buff orphington, 1 welsummer, 1 easter egger and 1 rhode island red

Coop 2 will have, 1 welsummer, 1 easter egger and 1 delaware


PDZ is working well but its an uphill battle and I need a plan on when to move them.

 

[BantamLover21]

I would keep the heat lamp on them. While chicks of that age can be without heat, I don't think they would do well in 30-40 degree temperatures. I would wait until they were 10-12 weeks of age before removing the heat completely.

 

[Wyandottes7]

All of your breeds are hardy. They should be fine in the daytime, but I'd put a heat lamp on at night. Before you move them out to the coop, I think it would be a good idea to let them be in the garage. This way, they can harden off to the cold temperatures.

 

[Eggcessive]

By 7 weeks they should be all feathered out completely and should need no supplemental heat. But if they have a heat lamp at night, I would start weaning it slowly. When I have put mine into a cold coop they will sometimes get under a lamp at night, and after a day or two they don't seem to use it. I always believe in a gradual adjustment. At 5 weeks they might need the lamp at night for sure because feather growth may not be complete.

 

[donrae]

I'm in the PNW also, and in the spring the temps are often the same as now. My 6 week old babies get weaned off the light and kicked out of the brooder and do just fine. I figure it's about the same age my broody hens stop brooding their babies, and if those chicks can handle it the brooder babies can, too.