How cold is too cold for 6 week old chicks?

[Stephanie8806]

So, my chicks are about 4.5 weeks old, and are all getting big and well feathered. I have dropped their red 250w bulb for a ceramic 150w, and lowered the thermostat to 65 degrees. I have 12 and they are in a 3x6 brooder box. In a fe days, I will drop the heat lamp all together.

Im wondering if my nights are still to cold for the chicks to move outside to their coop in a week and a half. Their coop is well ventilated, but sturdy and not drafty. But still, our nights still get down to the mid-High 30s. Days are fine, I’ve had my girls out in a grassy dog crate in 60 degrees plus a wind chill, and they seem so so happy, not acting cold. Should I consider maybe putting a heat lamp in for the first week or so while they adjust?

This is my first flock, so no adult hens. Their coop is 8x10, decently roomy for 12 chickens... but I don’t know if they will generate enough body heat to bump the internal temp up by a few degrees.

Any advise greatly appreciated! I want my girls to be healthy happy and tough, but I don’t want them to be too stressed out at such a young age because of cold.

 

[Punkybrewster]

If they will not have a heat source in the coop then i personally would take them off the heat this week in the brooder if they are feathered out.
Dont move them to a chilly unheated coop until they are fully off the heat in the brooder for a few days and fully feathered. They will then be able to hold their own heat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

By 6 weeks they should be feathered enough to be in the coop, just continue dropping the brooder temperatures as you have planned.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Thank you... I’ve had them off heat for around 3 days so far and they’re just fine. Fully feathered. The room they’re in is about 60 degrees. Going to move them to the coop in just a few days. You really think they can go from a 60 degree low temp straight to high 30s/low 40s during the night without any supplemental heat? I was really only thinking of having a heat lamp for a few day’s, just to raise it a few degrees while they adjust. I just want the transition to be smooth and not too stressful for them...

 

[Rose Quartz]

Thank you... I’ve had them off heat for around 3 days so far and they’re just fine. Fully feathered. The room they’re in is about 60 degrees. Going to move them to the coop in just a few days. You really think they can go from a 60 degree low temp straight to high 30s/low 40s during the night without any supplemental heat? I was really only thinking of having a heat lamp for a few day’s, just to raise it a few degrees while they adjust. I just want the transition to be smooth and not too stressful for them...

I moved my 3 week olds from inside my living room with a broody, to an unheated and uninsulated sunroom had them out there for about a week before moving them to the coop. There are too many chicks for them all to fit under mama. They've been outside for a week now and they're fine. Not fully feathered with mama.

I've put fully feathered chicks out without heat plenty of times with no problem even mid-winter on the warmer weeks.

So long as they're fully feathered and it's not dropping below freezing they'll be fine.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Okay thank you! I know chickens are pretty tough, and I don’t plan to supplement heat next winter unless we dip down into the negatives... but even then, the coop we just finished is solid and not drafty so they’ll probably be fine.

I’m trying to do as much research as I can, and everyone here at BYC has been so helpful. I had some chickens when I was a kid, but this is my first foray into poultry as an adult. Want to do right by my girls!

 

[Rose Quartz]

Okay thank you! I know chickens are pretty tough, and I don’t plan to supplement heat next winter unless we dip down into the negatives... but even then, the coop we just finished is solid and not drafty so they’ll probably be fine.

I’m trying to do as much research as I can, and everyone here at BYC has been so helpful. I had some chickens when I was a kid, but this is my first foray into poultry as an adult. Want to do right by my girls!

I've had no significant problems with down to -30C(-22F) here. A bit of frost bite on roosters combs, but i have a new coop now so hopefully that wont be a problem next winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You really think they can go from a 60 degree low temp straight to high 30s/low 40s during the night without any supplemental heat?

Their feathering will protect them at this point. And very likely they'll all huddle together on the floor the first few days, which will also help them stay warm as a group.

 

[ClundRnc]

So, my chicks are about 4.5 weeks old, and are all getting big and well feathered. I have dropped their red 250w bulb for a ceramic 150w, and lowered the thermostat to 65 degrees. I have 12 and they are in a 3x6 brooder box. In a fe days, I will drop the heat lamp all together.

Im wondering if my nights are still to cold for the chicks to move outside to their coop in a week and a half. Their coop is well ventilated, but sturdy and not drafty. But still, our nights still get down to the mid-High 30s. Days are fine, I’ve had my girls out in a grassy dog crate in 60 degrees plus a wind chill, and they seem so so happy, not acting cold. Should I consider maybe putting a heat lamp in for the first week or so while they adjust?

This is my first flock, so no adult hens. Their coop is 8x10, decently roomy for 12 chickens... but I don’t know if they will generate enough body heat to bump the internal temp up by a few degrees.

Any advise greatly appreciated! I want my girls to be healthy happy and tough, but I don’t want them to be too stressed out at such a young age because of cold.

I have my first flock at a week and a half. I am in California so during the day temps sometimes don't warrant a lamp, but nights do. What is everyone's ideas on temps and weaning?

 

[Rose Quartz]

I have my first flock at a week and a half. I am in California so during the day temps sometimes don't warrant a lamp, but nights do. What is everyone's ideas on temps and weaning?

What are your current highs and lows?
(I have to go to bed but i'll be back online tomorrow)