Temperature regulation

[Mospin]

How old are chicks before they can regulate their body temperature? How long do you usually keep a light on them?

 

[sourland]

It all depends on the ambient temperature, but generally until they are fully feathered. Sometimes it's only needed in the evening when the temperature drops.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Purely depends on the circumstances. In winter with lows in the mid-20's F I keep heat available until they are about 5 to 5-1/2 weeks old. One summer during a ridiculous heat wave I turned daytime heat off at 2 days and nighttime heat off at 5 days. It was above 110* F during the day and in the 80's at night. I did not want to cook them.

My brooder is out in the coop so it is not climate controlled. If your brooder is in your house it will depend on what temperatures they are seeing.

 

[mcdze]

depends on ambient .. if for example you set them up in a box in the living room of your place and its ~78*F, you'll have a light on them the entire time theyre there.. when they get to the point theyre flying up on the sides and you have to wire cover them, its time to go outside for both dust and smell reasons .. likely to a bigger box setup in the garage .. if its summer say 70-80 at night you wont need a light on them at that point, just maybe cover the box with a towel at night so theres no draft on them .. if its cooler though they will still need a light until its time to move out to the coop and the great outdoors ... they'll usually let you know when that time is, theyre just too big and make too much mess to keep in a box lol ..

 

[centrarchid]

It is a continuum. Bigger chicks can handle a lower ambient than smaller chicks because of an interaction between body mass and insulation coming from down / feathers. Heavier chicks with more muscle mass can generate more heat per unit time. Increasing feather coverage does increase insulation. Heavier and more feathered means more cold tolerant. Wetting down / feathers degrades insulatory value.

 

[SwampFlock]

Purely depends on the circumstances. In winter with lows in the mid-20's F I keep heat available until they are about 5 to 5-1/2 weeks old. One summer during a ridiculous heat wave I turned daytime heat off at 2 days and nighttime heat off at 5 days. It was above 110* F during the day and in the 80's at night. I did not want to cook them.

My brooder is out in the coop so it is not climate controlled. If your brooder is in your house it will depend on what temperatures they are seeing.

So you're saying with my 7 and 5 week old chicks (separate brooders) no lamps are needed if my nighttime temps never dip below 27? I live in SE TX and that's the coldest I've personally seen in 10 years here. Low 30s happens maybe 3x a year. I have lamps on them now (bigger birds are in a chicken tractor inside a barn) but I'll turn them off at 200watts apiece.

 

[SwampFlock]

So you're saying with my 7 and 5 week old chicks (separate brooders) no lamps are needed if my nighttime temps never dip below 27? I live in SE TX and that's the coldest I've personally seen in 10 years here. Low 30s happens maybe 3x a year. I have lamps on them now (bigger birds are in a chicken tractor inside a barn) but I'll turn them off at 200watts apiece.

*This is my first winter with chickens fwiw; had them since March 20

 

[Ridgerunner]

So you're saying with my 7 and 5 week old chicks (separate brooders) no lamps are needed if my nighttime temps never dip below 27? I live in SE TX and that's the coldest I've personally seen in 10 years here. Low 30s happens maybe 3x a year. I have lamps on them now (bigger birds are in a chicken tractor inside a barn) but I'll turn them off at 200watts apiece.

I treat 7 week olds as if they are adult as far as this goes. By then they are fully feathered out and can handle cold. Even for adults in a tractor or coop I'd want decent wind protection and decent ventilation when it drops below freezing or gets real close. In the tractor in a barn you probably have that.

I haven't had that experience with 5 week olds, mine have always been 3 or 4 days older when they've gone through temperatures in the mid 20's F. I've turned the heat off at 5 weeks but it's not dropped below the low 30's until a few days later. Actually I don't just turn the heat off, I move them to my grow-out coop that has excellent wind protection and great ventilation but no electricity so no supplemental heat.

I understand if you are concerned, I'm just a stranger over the internet. As rare as you see those temperatures when they are 5 weeks and if you can do it safely then provide heat for a night or two. It will cost you a little electricity but you might sleep a little better. Life is full of trade-offs.

 

[SwampFlock]

I treat 7 week olds as if they are adult as far as this goes. By then they are fully feathered out and can handle cold. Even for adults in a tractor or coop I'd want decent wind protection and decent ventilation when it drops below freezing or gets real close. In the tractor in a barn you probably have that.

I haven't had that experience with 5 week olds, mine have always been 3 or 4 days older when they've gone through temperatures in the mid 20's F. I've turned the heat off at 5 weeks but it's not dropped below the low 30's until a few days later. Actually I don't just turn the heat off, I move them to my grow-out coop that has excellent wind protection and great ventilation but no electricity so no supplemental heat.

I understand if you are concerned, I'm just a stranger over the internet. As rare as you see those temperatures when they are 5 weeks and if you can do it safely then provide heat for a night or two. It will cost you a little electricity but you might sleep a little better. Life is full of trade-offs.

The last two sentences pretty much sums it up; thanks! I guess for as rare as it hits 30 around here it just FEELS real cold to me haha! Chickens are probably rolling their eyes at me like teenagers as I'm battening down their hatches