how long do we need the heat lamp?

[_Randall_]

Quote:
Better yet.......until the lowest temperature that they will experience in thier destined home has been reached in their brooder.......indoors or out.

 

[TheRealTimShady]

with coturnix i go 4 week with brooder heat, then 2 weeks in outside coop, then at 6 weeks i move them in with other older birds

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
Better yet.......until the lowest temperature that they will experience in thier destined home has been reached in their brooder.......indoors or out.

AMEN!

AND NEVER MIX QUAIL UNLESS ALL ARE FULL SIZED

 

[TheRealTimShady]

Quote:
AMEN TO THIS!

 

[joe125]

The best way to mix and match different color birds is to hatch and brood out the various colors together. Putting an oversexed teenager roo with veteran hens is a roo nightmare waiting to happen. Mixing different age coturnix is dicey at best. One may want to buy or build a few more pens for generational development.

As far as brooding goes, Bill has a decent formula. It just gets blasted out of the water here, when I brood down to 78 deg. F. in my basement, then put them outside in 99 deg.F weather. It's a regional thing, but you should keep your chicks at a comfortable temp until they are fully feathered with their adolescent feathers. Then they will molt to adult feathers based on whether it is cold or hot.

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

i use 100watt bulb from the start and let chicks tell me if they are cold or hot. unless its winter then 250w.
i checked temp at chick level yesterday and it was 99.5 degrees so it does work. just move it closer

 

[joe125]

Quote:
I brood down based on chick response, rather than exact temp. The logistics I use is a 100 watt bulb linked to a damper/dimmer switch, so I don't need to move anything Physically higher or lower. Just adjust the dimmer up or down based on heat requirements.

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

good idea, but little hands would like to turn it though

 

[joe125]

Quote:
Then put it out of reach of the little hands or smack them little hands until they are red. I have a hard enough time adult proofing my stuff....Child proofing everything is even harder. I choose not to spawn, which helps out nice on the child proofing aspect, but that's just me

 

[mywifewasonherenowiamalso]

nothing is free so i guess thats the price i pay