Need Help....!

[jcbydesign]

Posted this before but didn't get any answers...sigh. What does 'fully fledged' mean and what does it look like? Mine are losing feathers, have lost all of their fuzz but still have bald spots under their arm pits. I want to put them into the coop but not sure when it will be safe for them because it's getting down into the low 30's at night. I have a heat lamp I can use. Coop won't be finished for a couple weekends more.
Thanks.

 

[Judy]

How old are they, what breed, and where are you? Where are they now? Are they under a heat lamp now?

They can go out when they are fully feathered. Haven't read the term "fully fledged" on here; fledging is what wild birds do when they leave the nest. You will see feathers around when they are young because they go through a series of mini-molts as they mature.

 

[jcbydesign]

They are ten weeks. One barred rock, one buff orpington and one easter egger. they are in my bathroom with heat lamp and I am in Portland, Oregon. Tonight it is getting down to low 30's so looks like winter is here. how can you tell if they are fully feathered? They have bald spots under their wing. Do those areas stay bald or are they fully feathered when that fills in?

I can put the heat lamp in the coop. Thanks,

 

[PunkinPeep]

At ten weeks, they should be fine. Though since they've been under a heat lamp all this time, it might be nice to shut off the heat lamp while they're in the house, so you can kind of ease them into the cold night air. Make it a gradual change, i mean.

 

[Judy]

They will stay kind of bald looking, or thin, under the wings. You said your coop won't be ready for two weeks. They will be ready for it by then; they probably are now.

You need to turn the heat lamp in the bathroom off, now. They only need it for the first 4-5 weeks at indoor temperatures, and besides, you want them to be accustomed to not having external heat when they go out. You should also start taking them outdoors for short periods if you can. You can set up a small temporary pen with most anything; even half an hour is worth the trouble, longer if you can. If they run around, they are warm enough. If they immediately huddle together, they aren't. I would bet good money they will wander around, or run around, start pecking and scratching the ground, etc.

They won't need a heat lamp in the coop. Really. Not unless it gets around 25 below.