new chicks! question on temps

[StellaLenoir]

yeah! my feed store had some baby chicks and they were sexed ! Yeah! I may actully have more than one hen!

My daughters and I picked out 2 of each,

RIR, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpington, and easter eggers!

We are so excited! We kept them in the house last night under a heat lamp. During the day we put them in a bigger cage on our screen porch still with the heat lamp.

My question is........Tonights low is 60 degrees, I am in NW Fl. Would they be ok on the porch, out of any wind, with a heat lamp and part of the cage covered by a thick blanket? Or should I bring them in again?

They are out there right now, and do not seem to be hanging out under the lamp. So I am thinking they are not cold.

So porch or house??? thanks! and they are of cours sososososososos cute!

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

Sounds like they are fine.
The only thing I ever worry about is the bulb blowing.
Once I had people buy ducklings off me and her DH
thought they stunk and so she put them in the garage
the night temps went to the low 50's and the bulb blew out
Between that and the fact that they made their cage wet from playing in the waterer they were all dead in the morning.
And once I sold chicks to some one that also put them in the garage and the heat light blew out and they also died.

SO now I tell every one if the babies are not in a part of the house with them to use 2 heat lamps with 2 bulbs that way if one goes out they still have a heat source.

Have fun with your new babies

 

[LoneCowboy]

If they are just day olds, you need to keep them in a brooder where they can't get drafts. They chill very easily. Keep the temps at 90-95 for the first week then down 5 deg. each week until they are down to about 60. Then they should be able to handle the temps. I wait until they are 4 weeks before I'd put them in any place to get too much of a temp fluctuation. I'll let them outside in the run on nice warm days with no wind or much breeze. Then fully feathered at about,7-8 weeks before I put them deal with average temps on their own.

 

[StellaLenoir]

They should not get any breeze at all the way I have them. I am watching them very close and so far everybody is perky and happy seeming.

They are so cute!

That is such a great idea to have two lights! We have two hanging light thingies, but my h will have to get a bulb on his way home.

I had know idea about the temp fluctuation thing! We had one other group of babies. They are polish, 3 roos, 1 hen They did great! thank goodness! But I will pay way more attention now that I know!

thanks

 

[bunch-a-chickens]

what does DH mean?

 

[Flufnstuffs~FluffySilkies]

Keep in Mind you do not want to cook them.
Use 2 smaller bulbs.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
DH = darling husband
DW = darling wife
DD = " daughter
DS = " son
SO (as in my case) significant other

 

[DoctorGoose]

Fluff--I totally have 2 bulbs going all the time, and am a little OCD about checking....especially during the night.

 

[seminolewind]

Hi, go by what the chicks are doing, if they huddle together in a corner nearest the light, then they may be cold. If they spread out to sleep, they may be fine, if they avoid the heat, its too hot. I had my chicks at 95 the first day, then I found them to be too warm and here they are about 1 week old and they seem to like 85 degrees, or a bit lower. Go figure.
IMO, I would keep them inside for a few weeks , then if they go on the porch, I would go with several lamps, and a thermometer.

 

[StellaLenoir]

thanks Seminole wind, being from my region helps to hear your ideas!

I ended up bringing them in about an hour ago. they seem good.

thanks again everyone!!!!