So we are new to chickens and have 6 hens. We are at the 5th week and will no longer need the heat lamp. My question is should we continue to keep it on at night with just a 50watt bulb or are they supposed to sleep in the dark? I have tried reading about this but can't seem to find much info.
They will be going to the coop in 3 weeks and wasn't sure if we should have the red light on 24/7. We live in Colorado at 9000 ft.
If they are still in your house, they should be fine without the heat lamp (unless your house get cold at night). They can sleep in the dark. If your pullets are in the garage where it's not warm however, then make sure you have the heat on them at night. At 5 weeks, they are still growing their feathers. I kept heat on my girls until they were fully feathered, but made sure they were able to move out of the heat if it was too much That was around 6-7 weeks. My girls moved out to the coop at 7 weeks.
! Your birds should be fully feathered by now so should be okay if the coop is draft free - they can cuddle so they shouldn't need heat...and they don't need light. Good luck to you!
