It's summer.. Month olds...do they really need a lamp 24/7?

[chantald]

I have 7 1 month old chicks from the feed store in the coop.

They are under the top to the rabbit cage on the floor of my coop, heat lamp above them, little door to their "cage" open 24/7 so they can wander in and out of their space into the coop.

In the coop are 2 RIR hens, 1 Silkie hen and 5 Silkie young'uns (old enough to be on their own.. mom has kicked them out.. hahah)

I find that at night everyone is roosting on the bars..or in the case of the littlest one.. some on top of the rabbit cage.

No one seems to bother the little guys.. maybe since they are nearly as big as the Silkie young ones no one notices them..

During the day everybody but the little guys head out to the chicken tractor and the little guys wander around the coop and sometimes the run on their own.

Do they really need the heat lamp on 24/7? It's ni the 70s or better during the day.. Night, I think they might need it.. but daytime?? They have most of their feathers now.. that gawky teenage stage..

 

[gritsar]

Nah, they don't need it.
ETA: If you get a rainy damp spell of weather you might offer it in the daytime, but sounds like they are doing just fine.

 

[chantald]

would you still offer it at night? Or stop it all together? (weather permitting)

 

[chickenwhisperer123]

How cool does it usually get at night?


Are they fully feathered? Because if they are, then they dont need a heat lamp at all.

ETA : I guess they arent fully feathered!

 

[jvls1942]

just offer when the weather is nasty cold.. they really do not need heat once they have feathers..

take it away gradually.. none during the warm daytime and some only at night.. put a smaller watt bulb in..

watch them, they will let you know if they need it..

 

[raspeary]

Mine went without their heat lamp by 2 months old.

 

[HBuehler]

I have 24 that are a month old..they go outside during the day or can stay in if they wish but they don't wish...they love it out.At night we have heat on but it's a very large coop and they are never just right under the heat anymore..even on these cold nights we have been having.Some of ours have completely feathered but most are still working on it.
I plan to keep the heat on for a few more weeks

 

[Judy]

I'm not quite clear here -- are the ones who roost on the rabbit cage also under the heat lamp? If so, I might leave it on a couple of weeks longer. If not, I'd turn it off. At any rate, I'd certainly turn it off during the day, I agree.