Nine week old chicks

[tChicky]

Good morning! My nine week old chicks are outside in there coup now for two weeks. I have a heater on for them on the cold 40 degree nights. Are they old enough to have their feathers to keep them warm yet? Can I shut the heat lamp off? Also, is it bad if I have a small water feeder inside their coup?

 

[sourland]

As long as the coop is not drafty, they should be fine. As long as they are not spilling the water, it is fine inside their coop.

 

[Shefner04]

I have 10 seven week old chicks that I let out during the day and then back in their brooder at night. I'm wanting to move them outside full-time as well but worried about the night time temperatures being 30-40s. What kind of setup do you have for your chicks outside?

 

[tChicky]

I have 10 seven week old chicks that I let out during the day and then back in their brooder at night. I'm wanting to move them outside full-time as well but worried about the night time temperatures being 30-40s. What kind of setup do you have for your chicks outside?

Hi. My coup is 4x6 and I have five girls. They’ve been in there coup for two solid weeks now. I open there coup door and they’re able to go in there run in the a.m. They automatically go back in there coup before dark now and I close their door. My coup isn’t drafty at all but I supplemented their heat with a heat lamp for two weeks at night shutting it off during the day. Starting today I’m eliminating the heat lamp and the water in their coup. I’m praying they’ll be fine!

 

[Mamatomany123]

I wouldnt just shut off the heat if it's cold outside. You need to wean them off.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights with temperatures in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat. The grow-out coop they were in had great breeze protection down where they were and great ventilation up high. Their 6' x 3' brooder was in the main coop. I kept one end toasty in cold weather but let the far end cool down as it would, sometimes it had ice on that end. Mine were exposed to cold weather so they were acclimated.

I personally would not worry with seven or nine week olds in those temperatures as long as the coop had good ventilation and breeze protection even without acclimation.

 

[tChicky]

I wouldnt just shut off the heat if it's cold outside. You need to wean them off.

Right, and I have. They don’t have heat during the day and I’ve backed off the heat at night a few nights. I’m just worried when it goes down to the thirties, will they be safe.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have 10 seven week old chicks that I let out during the day and then back in their brooder at night. I'm wanting to move them outside full-time as well but worried about the night time temperatures being 30-40s.

Right, and I have. They don’t have heat during the day and I’ve backed off the heat at night a few nights. I’m just worried when it goes down to the thirties, will they be safe.

As long as they're all healthy and well feathered (which they should be) and have a draft free coop to spend the night, they'll be fine without the heat.