Moving Chicks to the Coop

[Ejmaggz]

Is it too cold at night for my chicks in the coop?

I have 20 chicks that were out growing their brooder. 16 of them are almost 6 weeks and 4 of them are almost 5 weeks. About half of them are bantams.

I moved them to the new big coop we built, and the big girls are still in the old coop until the littles are bigger.

I have 2 brooder plates that are 12x12, and a flat panel heater. I saw on my camera that about half of them were under the brooder plates and half were on top. It’s been about 50-55 in the coop at night. Just worried they won’t be warm enough with my heat sources. I don’t like the risk that comes with heat lamps.

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

I'm not terribly familiar with bantams, but if your chicks are fully-feathered -- which most will be at that age -- and you've been acclimating them to the outdoors, they should be just fine.

The fact that they're on top of the brooder plate instead of under it shows that they don't really need the heat anymore.

(BTW, I recognize the name of your hometown. I'm a tremendous fan of Nick Zentner, the geology professor/YouTuber).

 

[Ejmaggz]

Welcome to BYC.

I'm not terribly familiar with bantams, but if your chicks are fully-feathered -- which most will be at that age -- and you've been acclimating them to the outdoors, they should be just fine.

The fact that they're on top of the brooder plate instead of under it shows that they don't really need the heat anymore.

(BTW, I recognize the name of your hometown. I'm a tremendous fan of Nick Zentner, the geology professor/YouTuber).

They all seem fully feathered, for the most part. I’m mostly concerned that there’s just not enough room under the plates for them all to have the choice to go under.

(I will have to look up nick zentner! I actually took geology at the college back in the day. Wonder if I’ll recognize him.)

 

[3KillerBs]

They all seem fully feathered, for the most part. I’m mostly concerned that there’s just not enough room under the plates for them all to have the choice to go under.

(I will have to look up nick zentner! I actually took geology at the college back in the day. Wonder if I’ll recognize him.)

If they're fully feathered they don't need the plates.

 

[CrunchTimePoultry]

When you move them out you can do the same thing as you might do in the brooder, watch for temperature-control behavior (e.g. huddling together for warmth or staying spread out if too hot). As 3KillerBs said though, if they are fully feathered they should be alright, as that's how they will regulate their temperature for the rest of their lives.