when can I take my chick out from under the heat lamp?

[FawniesFleet]

Hi I have 2 beautiful mutt chicks that I got from dwalters. 1NH+EE and 1 EE+EE thay r the coolest looking critters I've ever seen.

this is my 2nd time raising chicks but that was almost 3years ago. Alsow the weather is getting colder(lansing mi) and I need 2 start getting my existing flock used to them b4 winter so I dont have to stand out in below 0° to make sure that they don't eat each other. I will probably make a small spot in the existing fence so thay can see each other but not being able to get it one another, and 2 get used to the weather. I am running out of time rapidly and my 2 week old chicks can only grow so fast.

when would be a good time to safely ween them of the lamp by putting them outside for short periods of time or even let them play on my moms tile kitchen floor. Thay r currently in a large box full of pine shaving ,i let them out in the kitchen and thay jump,flap there wings and try to roust (hope I spelled that right) on my brothers foot.


So when is a safe time to put them out side so thay can start to adapt to the awful winters here. or even in the house with the lights off until they are big enough to live in the coop?

Thank you for your chicken wisdom

 

[Fred's Hens]

Ha, we hatch chicks in the fall all the time. No worries.

First, begin to lower the wattage in the lamp. Step them down from the high wattage bulb until they are just being slightly warmed by as little as a 60 watt bulb. If you step down the wattage, or raise the lamp each week, you'll prepare them well.
I like to step down the wattage as it saves energy.

Anyhow, there' lots and lots of time before the snow flies and the cold sets in. We've all of September and October and those months are mild. By the time winter sets in around Christmas, they'll be 18 weeks old and they'll be adults and handle winter just fine. No worries.

The transition time will come at 6 weeks. Move them out to a garage or some place colder than indoors. Give them supplemental warmth, just a wee bit, at night only. Do this for just another week and watch their feathering. If they feather out nicely, they are good to go. They've got a down coat on and they be just fine.

 

[FawniesFleet]

Thank u