New and have questions please

[sarahbear9]

Good morning BYC I have a question I am new to this chicken raising we have 12 chickens and we have had them about 6 weeks or so . So they are about 6 weeks old well we have them in a box in our small room and it seems like they are getting warm in there we have the red light . It is getting warmer here in mi and we were going to move them to garage this weekend .cause coop not really ready and not sure if they can go out . So my question is can I take the red light away and move them out side and still give them heat lamp at night ? Here is a pic of them from last night . Also can I just leave them under the normal light bulb during day since it seems like there hot ? My husband thought they were panting last night so we unplugged the red light is that ok ? Thank you in advance lol

 

[Egghead_Jr]

They no longer need heat source. You should take it away. They'll be fine in the garage without it. They are fully feathered and ready to go outside so get good start on that coop this weekend. You can also take them outside for little day trips if you've got a pen of some sorts to put them in.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

X2

They're long past needing heat.
If I have them indoors, they're off of any heat source by 4 weeks. Even as baby chicks, they need a cool space.

 

[kdog03]

We are in a similar situation ourselves. Our chicks are a little over a month old. We raised them outside in the coop since they were a day old. Our hen house is 10' X 12'. We have a small RIR that for some reason she hasn't feathered out as well as the rest of the chicks. I leave a heat lamp on at night but they have plenty of room to get away if they need to. During the day some stay outside in the run and some stay in the hen house. Its funny because baby red (That's what we call the smallest one that hasn't feathered out yet) she will be outside running and eating and hanging right there with the larger Brahma's. At 6 weeks I would think you are fine without the heat lamp as long as they were all feathered out pretty good. Like I said, im at 5 weeks and if it wasn't for baby red not having alot of her feathers in, then I would take away the heat lamp. If you move to the garage and are going to use a heat lamp, give them plenty of room to move completely away from the heat.

 

[debid]

Yeah, those chickens are well past needing heat. Feathers provide excellent insulation so once they are covered like that, they are ready for freezing temps. Really. Better get cracking on the coop.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think sometimes people are surprised how fast they grow.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I think sometimes people are surprised how fast they grow.

That they do yet is seems forever and a day for that first egg to arrive.

 

[sarahbear9]

Thanks everyone we are starting it today and moving them to garage and giving them a little bit of a bigger spot hoping to have done Sunday or so .