Ok... its gonna be 43 degrees tonight

[Dragynnechick]

And my coop is uber insulated, and the girls are almost 6 weeks old... and there's 6" of bedding to cuddle in... its 52 outside, and inside its nearly 60... think they'll be warm enough without a lamp????

I don't have electric out there....

Thanks!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I think they will be fine. Mine are 6weeks old and have been in a dog house with bedding for the last 2 nights down in the low 40's. They were screaming for their breakfast come morning with no problems

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

can you run a cord out to it? i think there still a little young for that low of a temp with no lamp.

 

[teach1rusl]

To me, it's what they are use to that matters a lot. By the way you're talking, I'm guessing they've already been staying out in the coop??? If so, what's been your coldest night? If it's gotten down as low as 50, then I'd say they'll do okay. I agree with Mark and Carolyn that IMO, they're a bit young for temps that low. But if they've built up (or in this situation down) to them, then they will most likely huddle together and do okay.
On the other hand, if this is their first night in the coop, or if they've been there already but it's only gotten as low as the mid 50s, then 43 could be quite a shock.

 

[ChksontheRun]

Mine are 6 weeks and I have run a cord out to the coop so I can put their light inside. Tonight is supposed to go down to 35 here so we really need the warmth for them. Extension cords are wonderful!

 

[Mark and Carolyn]

mine are just over 3 months old and i have still been leaving the lamp on at night for them. they have been in the coop for about a month or so. its still been in the 30's at night here in SE michigan. the wife says i am spoiling them.

 

[Dragynnechick]

Hm... its their first night in the coop... otherwise they've been in the garage under a heat light that got about 60 at its hottest... Really don't want to run extension cord out... will if you'all think I should... They're definitely not gonna freeze... but they might get cold stressed.

Dern birds! grin

 

[teach1rusl]

Yeah...if they've been use to around 60 degrees in the garage, then a fifteen degree sudden drop could be quite a shock. It's best to transition a bit more slowly. Can you take about a week to ween them off of the lamp before moving them outside at night time??? You're right, they won't freeze to death, but visions of them huddling and shivering would keep me awake all night. Mine had a heat lamp when they went out, and I STILL slept horribly and went out to check on them in the coop a few times those first few nights...lol.

 

[teach1rusl]

oops...double post

 

[swampman]

I finished my coop last week and put an electrical outlet inside which was hard wired to an extension cord with the female end cut off. I have a permanent extension cord run out to just behind the coop where I have a summer kitchen for pot-lucks and camping festivals on my land. I put the heat lamp in and my girls (6 weeks old tomorrow) are just doing fine. We had two frost warnings this week.

I will put the run in next week (20X20). I am debating whether to put hardware cloth on the bottom, which will run $120, or put electric wire on bottom and top which will run about the same ($81 for the power supply) and $40 for the wire and hangers.


Any thoughts?