Just moved 7 week old chicks outside. Dropping to 52F tonight, insulated coop, should I add a heat s

[mattspaeth]

Hi Everyone,

New here, but have been reading posts a lot. We just moved our 7 week old chicks outside into their new home. It is an insulated 4' x 5' shed that I converted into a coop.

We have 5 chicks. 2 Americana, 2 Speckled Sussex, 1 Barred Rock.

They have been in the basement in a create with a heat lamp on one end this entire time. We have been taking them out to the yard and letting them hang out in a crate out there so they have some exposure to fluctuating temps.

The temps are dropping to 52F tonight and from what I've read here, it's cold for chicks of this age. But our coop is well insulated. It has fiberglass insulation and drywall on the inside. I didn't build it that way, it just came with our house.

I have all the windows in the coop closed because they just have mosquito screens and a raccoon could easily get through.

I think if I put a heat lamp in there it might actually get too hot with all the windows closed. Maybe I should put a gallon jug of hot water in there?

I know they need ventilation and am planning on opening their windows tomorrow morning. The door doesn't have a very tight seal so I think they should be okay tonight. What do you think?

Any advice appreciate. This is our first time. It's almost 9pm here but I am ready to head out there and make any changes to make them more comfortable.

Thanks!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They will be fine with no heat lamp at that age in those temps, in that coop.

You may wish to put 1/2 inch hardware cloth over the windows eventually, to let you leave them open at night. It is the only thing that will keep out rats and weasels.

 

[mattspaeth]

Thank You!

 

[BrokeDFarms]

Chickens are far more resilient than most people think. As long as they are dry and draft free (and are fully feathered) they can take temperatures that get pretty low. The only time I turn a light on for them is if the temp drops below freezing.

 

[JessicaThistle]

I have 8 week old chicks. They have been in the coop since they were 5 weeks old. I had a heat lamp for them until a week ago when the temps finally came up. However, last night was supposed to dip to 37. I decided to brave it and not turn on the heat lamp. I also left the pop door open as the run is completely enclosed with hardware cloth. My girls were perfectly happy this morning. The low temp and wind didn't bother them a bit. There are 8 of them all snuggled up on the highest perch in the hen house.

Your chicks should be fully feathered and probably warmer than you are out there. 52 is not uncomfortable really even for us. I am sure they will be fine!

 

[gander007]

You have nothing to worry about as long as there is no draft ....

 

[mattspaeth]

Thanks for your help and replies everyone. I still think of them as babies but I see that's not the case anymore.

They were happy this morning and so am I!

Now out to finish building their run

 

[Blooie]

Mine have been outside since they were 5.5 weeks old with no heat source after the first night. I checked on them the first night and the heat lamp was in the south corner and they were all snuggled down against the pop door on the east side of our 6'x8' coop. Our nighttime temps are still only into the high 30's, low 40's and it has snowed a few times since they went out the first week in April. With no artificial light they learned to get their hineys into the coop at sunset and get settled in for the night, food costs are lower because they don't eat when they're in the dark, and I swear I could hear the feathers growing!

I also have two girls, a Buff Orpington and a Golden Laced Wyandotte, who have decided that the roost in the coop is just too crowded, so they have been happily roosting all night long on a big tree branch in the outside run. I briefly considered moving them, but then figured that if they knew where they were comfortable who was I to correct them? And the first night they did that we had rain mixed with snow and 35 mph winds. They've been just fine.

Good luck!

 

[gander007]

Thanks for your help and replies everyone. I still think of them as babies but I see that's not the case anymore.

They were happy this morning and so am I!

Now out to finish building their run

They do grow up so fast