Questions: Keets???

[rhea]

I have 30 keets, about a month old. When are these little critters considered full feathered? Currently they are inside, would like to move them to their permanent coop but will not be able to have a heat lamp out there, temps at night are ranging in the low to mid 60's, can they tolerate that?

 

[StevenW.]

Yes. My keets are outside in their new shed and I have to actually have the window open because it gets so darn hot it there!
I have a Light hanging up on the top rafter so they have some light at night. (They haven't flown up their.. Yet!)

 

[AliciaM]

My 4 keets are a bit over a month old and have no fuzz and have been without a heat source for a couple of weeks.. Its been too hot during the day to have one, and the nights have been mild so I just quit turning it on. I moved them and my chicks to their outside pen yesterday and they are enjoying the freedom. They have a small coop to go into to get out of the elements and another thing in there for shade...

I also clipped the guineas wings before I put them out there.. Im not wanting them to fly since my pen isnt covered. (The baby pen is covered for protection, but the main chicken pen isnt..)

 

[Fenika]

My understanding is they aren't fully feathered until 6 weeks, and I did look them over at about 4 and 5 weeks and saw that they weren't quiet there yet, despite looking feathered from a few feet away.

They also should start at... 95 degrees the first week and go down 5 degrees a week.

2 wk: 90
3 wk: 85
4: 80
5: 75
6: 70

After 6 weeks they should be fine, as long as there isn't a drastic change. I worried about my babies when they first went into their coop, but more because they wouldn't be eating all night long with the red light on since they could now perch.

They adjusted, with some help.

ETA: Also, I would feel better about having them out sooner (say, 5 weeks) if there were no perches. It's easier for them to huddle (particularly in hay or straw) and keep heat than to be on a perch and only be touching side by side. Any chance of out by day and in at night??? You could scoop them off their perches early in the evening, assuming they didn't panic completely.