How cold is too cold for 6 week old chicks?

[rosemarythyme]

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?

At that age they'll need supplemental heat if temps drop too much as they don't have sufficient feathering to hold in body heat.

 

[Stephanie8806]

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?

I agree with rosemarythyme, at that age they still need a heat source. Mine are 5.5 weeks, I live in Washington state. I took the light away at about 4.5 weeks because the girls had really good feathering and weren’t sleeping directly under the lamp anymore.

I think the general rule of thumb is 90 degrees in the first week, and raise the light or lower the wattage so that the temp drops 5 degrees per week. I just watched my chickens behavior and incrimentally cooled it down as they seemed to be able to handle it(ie not huddled tightly together under light). I bought breeds that are all pretty cold hardy too so they seemed to like it a little cooler anyways

 

[ClundRnc]

Today it's 84/55. It is going to get up to 94 at the end of the week. Our chicks are inside the garage so not out in the coop yet.

 

[ClundRnc]

I agree with rosemarythyme, at that age they still need a heat source. Mine are 5.5 weeks, I live in Washington state. I took the light away at about 4.5 weeks because the girls had really good feathering and weren’t sleeping directly under the lamp anymore.

I think the general rule of thumb is 90 degrees in the first week, and raise the light or lower the wattage so that the temp drops 5 degrees per week. I just watched my chickens behavior and incrimentally cooled it down as they seemed to be able to handle it(ie not huddled tightly together under light). I bought breeds that are all pretty cold hardy too so they seemed to like it a little cooler anyways

That makes great sense. We tried the 250w red light for about a day, waaay too hot. We got a 50 watt amphibian light and made it much more manageable.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Today it's 84/55. It is going to get up to 94 at the end of the week. Our chicks are inside the garage so not out in the coop yet.

Wow that’s quite warm! How do they behave during the day? Are the pretty spaced out? I found that my chicks slept all huddled together regardless of if there was a light or not. I can’t imagine the 50w build gives off much heat. After two weeks I switched from a 250 to a 150, and then took the heat away entirely at the 4 week mark. Ours were in a spare room in our MIL basement level, so the ambient temp was always around 60 anyways. Is your garage air conditioned?

 

[ClundRnc]

Not an air conditioned garage. They seem very happy, running around and trying to fly at 2.5 weeks old. If the light is on, they go straight to the light and take a nap all cuddled up. Then they co e out after a little bit and chase around their broader. They eat constantly and seem contented.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Not an air conditioned garage. They seem very happy, running around and trying to fly at 2.5 weeks old. If the light is on, they go straight to the light and take a nap all cuddled up. Then they co e out after a little bit and chase around their broader. They eat constantly and seem contented.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I’d definitely say to try and keep the nighttime temp around 70 at the lowest, at least until 4 weeks. You live in a warmer climate than me and that seemed to work fine for my girls! It kind of depends on the Breed you have too, I would think. All my girls are winter hardy, so they may have been better equipped to handle cooler weather earlier on.

As long as you’re paying attention to their behavior(which it sounds like), and they seem generally pretty happy(sounds like you hit the mark here too), then you’re doing the right thing!

 

[Doc7]

I would get worried if it was going to below 10-15F for extended periods of time for chicks below 2 or 3 weeks old.

mama Heat pad folks. Throw out your thermometers and quit worrying about the weather forecast. They go out in the coop (sectioned off from hens but outside in the coop nonetheless) and when it’s above 50 by day 3 they are spending almost all day NOT under the heat pad anyway.

when my chicks are 3-4 weeks old it’s almost horrifying to compare them to chicks online as they look so much older And more feathered out that I think something must be very wrong with the other posters’ chicks.

 

[ClundRnc]

I’d definitely say to try and keep the nighttime temp around 70 at the lowest, at least until 4 weeks. You live in a warmer climate than me and that seemed to work fine for my girls! It kind of depends on the Breed you have too, I would think. All my girls are winter hardy, so they may have been better equipped to handle cooler weather earlier on.

As long as you’re paying attention to their behavior(which it sounds like), and they seem generally pretty happy(sounds like you hit the mark here too), then you’re doing the right thing!

Thanks! We had an escapee a couple of days ago and have had to bolster the ceiling of the brooder. It has pushed the coop completion up a bit!