Old enough to remove heat lamp?

[tanyizzle]

We don't know exactly how old these guys are, anyone have a guess? We've had them 3+ weeks. Do they look old enough to take the heat lamp away? We've already raised it up a bit from where it was originally.

I'm not sure why they're sideways

 

[Imp]

I'm gonna guess that they are about 3+ weeks old. Were they little balls of fluff when you got them?

They should be at about 75-80*F. I'd leave the light on for about another week. Then turn it off if they are in a warm room temperature, draft free room.

Imp

 

[Kbagwell1]

My chicks stay in the brooder, under the heat lamp until they are fully feathered. Then they get to go to their outdoor coop!!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

They should be fully feathered before their heat lamp is completely removed (unless you live in a tropical climate, lol).

I think they are around 3 weeks old. They must have been completely new when you got them, IMO.

The standard chick care recommendations are:
90-95 degrees under the heat lamp for the first week of life
decrease by 5 degrees per week until fully feathered, which usually happens around 6 weeks of age.

If your climate is nice and warm, you can adjust this.

They need to be able to get away from the heat.

By the way, their heads need to have feathers on them for them to be considered fully feathered.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
AND under their folded wings, too. No pin feather patches on the body, even hidden.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Mine are 6 weeks today and I took the heat out yesterday. They are much more feathered than those guys so I would recommend waiting another week or two unless you have them indoors where the temp is fairly normal! Good luck with your babies!