I broke the heat lamp - will they be alright for the night?

[allieszoo]

I was cleaning out the pen/brooder and dropped the heat lamp and the bulb broke. I have been weaning the chicks off the heat lamp but we have still had some really cold nights here and they are only half feathered out - they are almost 4 weeks old.

I have a white heat lamp bulb (I was using the red heat bulb) but it seems to annoy them at night and I was having issues with pecking when I used the white bulb.

It is supposed to be down into the 40s tonight so am not sure if I should risk annoying them for the night or let them do without or.....(any suggestions would be great) The hardware store that stocks the red bulbs is closed on Sundays and it is plenty warm during the day (up into the 70's) so am not worried about tomorrow -- just the evening.

What would you guys do for the night?

 

[EdenCamp]

Use the white and annoy them or lose your birds.

 

[aggiemae]

They are 4 weeks old, lots of people up their chicks out into the coop at 4 weeks....I would set up the light then check on then in the late evening and, if they are making a fuss, turn on the white light for the night.

 

[allieszoo]

great thanks! I know a lot of people have them out in coops at this age, but our nights have been so cold and wet here I've been waiting until they have all their feathers to keep them out of the pen in the shop.

 

[Clackclack]

Better safe than sorry - annoyed chickens are better than dead ones. Or, try to look for a real low wattage bulb, to keep the light down, but give some heat.