Red heat lamp

[finsfan7920]

I'm in FL and have 4 week old chicks that dont have all their feathers yet, when can i take the heat lamp off them?

 

[arohli]

At 4 weeks, they should be kept around 75 degrees...so if your weather is that warm, you don't need the heat lamp. The chicks will definitely let you know if they're too cold...lots of complaining!

 

[Jferlisi]

I leave it in there till about 6 weeks just to make sure you know, you never can be too sure.

 

[finsfan7920]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/91283_gedc0940.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/91283_gedc0936.jpg

Hey what do you guys think, male or female barred rock

 

[finsfan7920]

deleted

 

[fshinggrl]

Quote:
Umm.. what answer do you want? It's a cockeral. The legs are yellow and not dark in front. Looks like it had/has a big 'dot' on top of it's head & that comb!!!

That is my guess at least.. I am pretty sure about it. You can wait and see how the feathers come in.. if they are more white it should be a cockerel and if they are dark it is a pullet. I still stand by my guess.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

I'm in Florida and this time of year at four weeks they're out of the brooder and into the growout pen. In the cooler times of the year I don't move them out until about six weeks, but it's topping ninety every day now so as long as they're mostly feathered out they no longer need the heat. Younger than that I turn the light off during the day but turn it back on again at night. For really young chicks such as the turkey poults I hatched last weekend I keep the light on 24/7 but just recently went over to a lower wattage bulb for daytime use then back again to the higher wattage for after dark. Our high for today is predicted to be 94 so you can see once it's good and hot outside the lamp can become a detriment.

 

[debid]

I'm shutting the heat off at 75-80 degrees ambient (about 10AM in TN) and leaving it off all day but it's still cooling off around midnight so I switch the lamp on when I go to bed. Youngest chick is 3 weeks so not feathered out yet.

 

[GiddyMoon]

You don't have to use that high wattage bulb if your air is relatively warm..I am using a 60 watt amber bulb and they are doing fine.