Warm enough for 2-week-old Bantam chicks?

[chickenpearl]

Hi! I have 10 Bantam chickies (5 silkies and 5 partridge Cochins), and have been keeping their temps by the book (95ish and then 90ish) and by their behavior for their first two weeks. They all seem happy and healthy.

So, now, this is their third week, and it is in the 90's outside. It's not quite that hot in the shed where they are, but it is about 81 in there today. I was wondering if that was warm enough without supplemental heat. I read somewhere that Bantams may not need as much heat as other chicks, and that chicks can self-regulate heat after 14 days (these are actually 16 days old now). I'm a little afraid that it's going to get too hot for them eventually!

 

[cochinbantam-lover]

I thought bantams being extra tiny would need to be a little warmer than other chicks??????????? Am i wrong here?

 

[Judy]

Chickenpearl, it would help if you told us where you are. We don't need your name and address, but a state or country would be nice.

Where I live, I would certainly put chicks outdoors without heat now. We are 90-100 during the day and in the mid 70's at night.

And you are right, heat is more of a problem than cold for chickens. In really cold climates you do have to address preventing frostbite, though. I have been running a fan in my coop for a few weeks now, and it is a hot weather coop, with large areas where the walls are hardware cloth.

 

[chickenpearl]

I'm in southwestern Missouri, and it's been in the 90's during the day and upper 70's at night. It's pretty shady in the shed where the chicks are, though. I recently separated 10 chicks into two sets of 5 so they would have more room. I've also turned the light off at night the last couple of nights. They seem to be fine--I think I'm just paranoid that something will happen to the little cuties!

 

[SimplyForties]

We're in the 90's too. I put mine out at 3 weeks with no supplemental light or heat. They're much happier out of the brooder!

 

[Auntbeast]

We have had glorious weather and my girls have been out since their first week. Of course, I check on them a billion times a day and bring them inside at night.

I moved their brooder into the coop last night and everyone seemed to be just fine without having a 3 year old peering over them all night. Who knew?

 

[elmo]

Our OE game bantam/serama hybrid chicks are two weeks old, and they stopped sitting under the heat lamp in their brooder two nights ago. They now sleep at the edge of the brooder where the temp is room temperature, about 78 degrees.

In the daytime, they're out in a pen on our breezeway with no supplemental heat (temps hitting the high 80's).

You just have to watch how yours act, and respond accordingly.

 

[Gonzo]

Our cochin bantie did'nt need a light after 3 weeks...and did great! If I leave a light on, it's like a big party out their in the coop! Ours won't sleep with it on.