Suggestions for moving chicks out

[Kschloesser]

Question: I need to move the chicks out. They are 3 1/2 weeks old, so we modified a large dog house and attached a 5 x 3 hardware cloth run. I made a modified mamma chicken (as seen on other posts). I checked with a thermometer and it is 80 degrees under this set up. They spent most of the day in the dog house. I went out last night after dark, and all the chickens were in the run and I had to scoop them up and bring them in and put them under the light again. My husband thinks that they were outside because they know that there is warmth where they see light. The "coop" is too short to hang the brood light. Can I hang a regular light bulb to put off some heat? Some posts say yes, others say it doesn't work. (My husband is working on the "Taj Mahal" pen but it isn't ready yet.) Any ideas

 

[igorsMistress]

Are they fully featheted? What are your temps like right now? They were scared in a new place and they're accustomed to light. They need you to teach them that the cave is safe and cozy to cuddle in.

 

[SueT]

They may not need heat at all. I usually start to wean my brooder chicks from heat at 3 weeks, all off by 4 weeks. Our brooder heat lamp, which is a reptile bulb, only heats the area directly under, and our chicks from day 1, spend a lot of time NOT under it, in a basement where the ambient temp is 65.
With broody hen, the same. She takes them outside at 2-3 days old in chilly temps, and they spend a lot of time not under her.
It's 55 this morning and drizzly, and these chicks, 2 weeks old, are unfazed, see pic.

 

[DragonGirls]

Just love that picture SueT !

 

[FluffyButtTikiHut]

Hi! I'm in Houston Texas, here we had a cooler than usual spring and my chicks have not had a lamp since they came home, new hatch, April 10th. Inside our home MOST days climate the was under 70 and they were fine, all healthy 7 weeks now. That's my experience.
I believe 80° is good. If they get cold they'll huddle and keep one another warm. Good luck!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

A regular bulb should be fine for heat at this age (not LED, something that actually gives off some heat), but if you have a mama heating pad (? is that what you meant by "modified mamma"?) then they really don't need it. I'd tuck them under the heat pad and let them decide if they want to stay there or not.