When are chicks considered "Feathered"? Looking to remove lamp ASAP.

[Peggy O]

Hi all. My babies were brought home on 4/11. They were about a week old then I think. I have raised the lamp to get the brooder temp to just about 75*. It's been 70 or warmer here during the day, 50's (outside, chicks are indoors, window closed in that room) at night. When can I take the lamp down? Is there a way to do it to not shock them? Maybe just turn it on at night for a while? I am not sure what to do. I have 4 Wyandottes, a Australorpe, and a Orphington. The lamp makes me nervous. Also, when we get the house assembled what would be the best way to introduce them to it when the time is right for that? Just pop them in there and let them get used to it?

 

[chickencoop789]

I used the heat lamp until I put my chicks in the coop (I put mine in at 6 weeks). I put them in the coop with the lamp for a week (lamp only on at night; weather was warm enough to leave it off during the day), then when the night time temp. was around 70* I took the lamp completely out.

 

[Peggy O]

Thanks! We better get going on our coop, it's getting warmer and warmer here. For some reason I was thinking I had to wait past ten weeks. The chick dust is making me insane. I clean it up and an hour later it's back, lol. I can't wait to move them outside.

 

[song of joy]

If they're inside and 5 weeks old - and if the air temps inside are around 70 degrees - they shouldn't need a heat lamp any longer. Once they're 6 weeks old, they should be OK in an outside coop with no heat lamp, provided night-time temps are at least 50 degrees. I love the chick stage, but usually by 3 weeks, the chick dust is totally driving me crazy because it gets on everything. Last year, I ordered chicks in late June and was able to move them to the outside coop at 3 weeks of age with no heat lamp, because the temps were quite warm. What a relief! God speed on getting your coop ready.

 

[Peggy O]

Oh thank you! I was thinking it might be time to get the lamp out of there. Maybe I will turn it off tomorrow during the day and see how they fare, I will most likely use it at night though. We have had chilly nights, and the kitchen is very large and unheated if the heat were to pop on it wouldn't help them.

 

[donrae]

Turn the heat lamp off. They're pretty much ready to move outside. In fact, if you want, move the heat lamp outside and put them out now. I never brood chicks in the house, I can't imagine breathing in all that dust

. If you moved them out with the lamp tomorrow, they'd probably only need it for a few more days or a week, max.

No introduction needed for moving the, just move them. They'll be "chickens" for a while, but the more you mess with them the longer they'll take to get comfortable.

 

[Peggy O]

OK. We're having a chicken "barn" raising party this Sunday and then I'm moving them. The dust was not too bad till last week. They are in a kitchen, behind a bar (in a tub) and I lined everything in a ten foot radius with plastic tarps. The dust just started to escape the tarped area. Not good!!!

 

[gander007]

You really do not need a heat lamp anymore as they can keep each other warm .....

 

[newmarch2014]

With my now 8 week old pullets last week I shut them into the coop for 3 days with no access outside with a heat lamp at night very low but a safe height in the coop in case they slept on the floor since it was down in the mid 30's at night and 55 during the day. Then after 3 days opened up the pop door in the morning to let them in their secure little run (we had to do a temp run since we are headed off to vacation and needed something quick while we are gone). It took them a long time to venture a foot past the pop door and every little thing sends them scurrying back in but that was the whole idea of the 3 day lock up was to get them used to the coop. This resulted in the 5 of them going inside at dusk like good chickens from the first night which was great compared to the stories I have heard of people having to herd their chickens in at night to teach them the routine.

 

[chickencoop789]

With my now 8 week old pullets last week I shut them into the coop for 3 days with no access outside with a heat lamp at night very low but a safe height in the coop in case they slept on the floor since it was down in the mid 30's at night and 55 during the day. Then after 3 days opened up the pop door in the morning to let them in their secure little run (we had to do a temp run since we are headed off to vacation and needed something quick while we are gone). It took them a long time to venture a foot past the pop door and every little thing sends them scurrying back in but that was the whole idea of the 3 day lock up was to get them used to the coop. This resulted in the 5 of them going inside at dusk like good chickens from the first night which was great compared to the stories I have heard of people having to herd their chickens in at night to teach them the routine.

That was so me