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Question: I have my almost 6 week old chicks outside in the coop right now. They have been without heat pretty much all week because it was so warm, but now it's 43 degrees. Should I turn the heat lamp back on for them? Or should I be trying to let them acclimate to the weather? They are totally dry and mostly draft free.
 
hyzenthlay said:
Question: I have my almost 6 week old chicks outside in the coop right now.  They have been without heat pretty much all week because it was so warm, but now it's 43 degrees.  Should I turn the heat lamp back on for them?  Or should I be trying to let them acclimate to the weather?  They are totally dry and mostly draft free.
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If your coop has a safe place for heat you can hang a secured lamp in an area close to where they are but not over the food and water.... if they want it they can use it, if not they will not bother. Also, you can go with a ceramic reptile heat bulb...so the artificial light source doesn't mess up their routine if they aren't used to it.
 
Thanks!! I already have the red heat lamp hanging out there, safely secured. I had just turned it off when it was 80 degrees out. It isn't over the food/water, just in the corner near one end of the perch. I am happy to be able to turn it back on, just didn't want to hurt them with kindness if their supposed to be acclimating!

I also use the heat lamp in the winter for my adult hens when it gets much below 30 degrees, and I've never had a problem with that.
 
hyzenthlay said:
Question: I have my almost 6 week old chicks outside in the coop right now.  They have been without heat pretty much all week because it was so warm, but now it's 43 degrees.  Should I turn the heat lamp back on for them?  Or should I be trying to let them acclimate to the weather?  They are totally dry and mostly draft free.
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I would not do it.
I understand why you offer heat in the winter, but there is one problem. Or two.
This winter is supposed to be vicious, and we may lose our power. If the chickens have gotten used to a heat source, they may freeze to death without it because they have not acclimated.
The second possible problem I am not sure if it is a problem or not. I know someone that offers heat throughout the winter, and their birds never make it through the winter. It is possible that it is just bad husbandry though. I did have to convince them that chickens need more than corn to eat throughout their lives.
 
taebert said:
Luzerne County near Berwick.
16 barred plymouth rock hens and one rooster.  4 BBB turkeys, soon to be zero.
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Hi and welcome from Cambria county!

hyzenthlay said:
Thanks!! I already have the red heat lamp hanging out there, safely secured. I had just turned it off when it was 80 degrees out. It isn't over the food/water, just in the corner near one end of the perch. I am happy to be able to turn it back on, just didn't want to hurt them with kindness if their supposed to be acclimating!

I also use the heat lamp in the winter for my adult hens when it gets much below 30 degrees, and I've never had a problem with that.
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I don't offer heat to my birds in the winter unless it's going to be below zero. Their coop is large and I only add one heat lamp to it so it doesn't heat it too much but typically keeps it above zero. Besides that, they just get plastic around their run to protect them from the wind. It's extremely important that they acclimate to the cold.
 
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Just catching up... we have a shipment of chicks coming next week and this cold snap just made me question whether it was really a good idea. October always tricks me, it's so nice (80 degrees last week) and then boom, it's suddenly winter. Chicks will be in my unheated garage (with heat in their brooder, obviously), but I'm worried about acclimation them to the outside once they are feathered. Tips? They are mostly cornish cross plus a chicken lady sized handful of layers. The layers will transition to the coop, the meaties only have a tractor.

In other news, the chicken train will be available in the east to west direction on Sunday, October 30th if anyone wants to get some birds on board. Now is the time to work out the logistics. I have a pretty busy week coming up, see above note about chicks, plus I'm doing the Halloween party at my daughter's school and we have two halloween themed birthday parties, and I need to finish securing the remodeled game pen and get the pheasants moved over... so send me a message if we need to work out details, I may not be able to keep up here.

Also, my neighbor may be interested in a pretty rooster and I saw there were two posted here an OE and a GLW... I will talk to her, but I'm curious about their demeanor. She has kids (crazy kids) so she can't have an aggressive roo.
 
I have eggs in the incubator (I assume it will warm back up btw) and plan on moving them out with a heat lamp around a week. If they are like the others I put out in the cold, they will choose to be away from the heat by three weeks. :fl
If I only get one :hide I am thinking of letting it wear a diaper in the house. Duckling will love having a chicken in the house. :lau I will have to prevent her from sleeping with it.
 
fisherlady said:
Blarneyeggs said:
I don't usually see these guys away from the stream.
1000
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Cool pic....amazed to see it just walking across a road... did it seem ok otherwise?
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I put the car in park and sat staring at her, and she at me for quite some time. I did wonder if it was injured and watched it's gait when it finally left, which seemed fine to me. My mother loved birds, I assume it was she coming to visit me.


hyzenthlay said:
Thanks!! I already have the red heat lamp hanging out there, safely secured. I had just turned it off when it was 80 degrees out. It isn't over the food/water, just in the corner near one end of the perch. I am happy to be able to turn it back on, just didn't want to hurt them with kindness if their supposed to be acclimating!

I also use the heat lamp in the winter for my adult hens when it gets much below 30 degrees, and I've never had a problem with that.
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Love all the great responses you've gotten so far. I usually gauge cold resilience by feather amount and body weight. Are they fully feathered? Also, I forget if you mentioned the breed, but cornish cross put off heat at a freakish young age.
 

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