New to the group, and here's my first question!! Are the old enough to not need a heat lamp?

[Sturner175]

I got these ladies from rural king a couple days ago, and lost one last night. They said they are 10 weeks and when I don't have a lamp on they bunch up, but if it's on they spread. I read in one of the forums that the bunching means they are cold to turn on the lamp and if they are spread out they are ok, unless panting which is too hot. So I have been turning it on at night, and off during the day. The temps here are in the 78+ to upper 80s during the day and has been in the upper 50s at night and expected to climb. Is it warm enough to stop using the lamp or to hot already? I don't want too loose another so soon!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your chicks look to be more like 10 days. They will need extra heat until they are mostly feathered out if it isn't warm enough out. Mine go outside during the day if it's 80 degrees out, but get the heat lamp at night if the shed is cooler than what I am currently brooding them at. Yours need about 80 degree.

 

[21hens-incharge]

They look to be less then a single week old.

Keep that heat lamp running!
They need a warm space and just as important a space they can get totally out from under the heat.

If you are brooding outside and it is above 80 you can turn the lamp off for as bit during the heat of the day only. It needs to be on during the morning and evening as well as night. They will need it for about another month. That depends largely on your overnight lows of course.

At ten weeks they would no longer be fuzzy but feathered and looking like small hens.
Shame on whoever lied to you!

There are tons of great articles about chicks, muddy runs and almost anything chicken related here on BYC.



Feel free to ask any question you have as there are many thousands of great people here.

 

[drumstick diva]

Your chicks are nowhere near 10 weeks old but, it appears in your photos that you still have snow on the ground. Were(are) you brooding them outside since you got them?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Um Diva..... I think the snow is shredded paper bedding....
That or I can read snow....

 

[Sturner175]

Thank you guys for such a quick response! I didn't think it sounded right. I'am in saint peters mo. I will keep the light on and keep them warm.

 

[Sturner175]

Your chicks are nowhere near 10 weeks old but, it appears in your photos that you still have snow on the ground. Were(are) you brooding them outside since you got them?

That is shredded paper, and I have them in an outside coop with the heat lamp. It's about 2 ft by 3ft and the lamp points at one end so the can get out from underneath it. Is that ok? When the lamp is on they seem happy.. and is mulch a safe bedding? My neighbor just had a tree trimmed and there is a pile of it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is shredded paper, and I have them in an outside coop with the heat lamp. It's about 2 ft by 3ft and the lamp points at one end so the can get out from underneath it. Is that ok? When the lamp is on they seem happy.. and is mulch a safe bedding? My neighbor just had a tree trimmed and there is a pile of it.

Mulch could possibly cause slivers so I'm not sure if I would use it. I use pine shavings. Your chicks should be able to move away from the heat, so your set up sounds good.

 

[21hens-incharge]

The pine shavings folks use is dried and not fresh from the tree. That is important as the fresh from the tree will not work the same. I would avoid that and go with bagged pine shavings.

Is the brooder area 2x3 or the whole coop?
I brood for the first 2 weeks in a 2x4x2 brooder then I give them much much more space.

 

[Sturner175]

It was 2x3x1 1/2. I decided to move them inside and made an area about 2x5, bout the size of the troff they were in when I got them. I was afraid I would not be able to turn off the light during the hot part of the day and loose more chicks due to heat. Would shavings from scrap wood ran through a planner work?