Is it time to ditch the heat lamp?

[Leisa1968]

Ok so I did it!.........I went out and turned it off. It was up as high as it could go and has been for 2 days so I just turned it off. I hope I can sleep tonight.

They were sleeping like babies

 

[dgilm]

Quote:
I did too.... I told them goodnight, and I hoped they stayed warm enough!

I figure with 25 of them, they ought to be able to generate enough body heat by huddling together if they are too cold.

 

[Leisa1968]

25 WOW! They should be able to keep each other warm. I only have 6 girls but they are closed up in a small coop so I'm thinkin they will be ok. They were all six piled up in ONE Nesting box even though there are 4 boxes! Oh well... as long as they are happy!

(and warm)

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
Holy cow, 9 1/2 weeks? I would have ditched that lamp 5 weeks ago!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Nesting boxes should not be available to young, non-laying birds. Sleeping birds poop a lot and it is not a good habit. You'll really regret it later on. Now is the time to break that habit. Sure, they feel secure in there, but nesting boxes are not for sleeping in.

Roosting bars, of 3 or 4 inch width should be provided. Roosting bars should be higher than the nesting boxes. Chicken's have an instinct to sleep up high for a sense of protection. Close the nesting boxes until you actually have pullets ready to lay, which occurs a couple weeks after a squat and their combs and wattles are huge and red. This is typically around 19-24 weeks, depending on breed, with the sex links being early, while the heavier bodied breeds being later to develop.

 

[BullChick]

Yeah, I know you posted five months ago. I am wondering how you slept that night. Did you check the babies a million times? I have four weeks until it is "lights out". I am already thinking I won't sleep. Sad since it will be the end of May.
So? How did it go?

 

[RonC]

Mine lost the heat lamp first night I checked on them in the brooder and they were all as far from it as they could get sleeping. Probably a month old then.

 

[Aeropennchick]

Mine also were a few days over four weeks when we moved them out. Had the lamp off in the day for a few days before moving them. The first night mine were out, it rained, and they were still fine. We checked on them several times for no reason!

 

[TonySorrento]

Well my babies are 5 1/2 - 6 1/2 weeks old and I had turned the heat lamp off 1 1/2 weeks ago in the brooder and they went into their coop on Thursday with no heat and it has been in the 30s and they are doing FABO!!!!

Take the heat away!!!

 

[BackyardCoop]

Glad I read this! I was wondering the same. Our first batch is close to 7 weeks. We split the coop in half today and put the 2 week old babies on one side with the lamp and the others on one side without it. =)