when can i take the light away????

[MEchickenfarmer33]

when will it be ok to take the chicks off of the light??? their a little over 3 weeks old. im about to move them outside

 

[Fred's Hens]

Unless you are in a hot place, with high 80's during the day and nightime low of 75, they still need warmth for another few weeks.
Not as much, you can lower the wattage or raise the bulb a bit, but they are not yet fully feathered out. If you have electricity out in the shed, garage or coop, you could be brooding out there. No need to do it in the house.

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

thanks so i can move them out as long as they have a light??? i live in maine and the temperature had been so weird. last week it was freezing and now its wicked hot!!!!

 

[Chemguy]

Keep the light on them until they get a full set of feathers. For me, this was after about 4-5 weeks. Pay attention to them, too. With those temperature swings, you might need to adjust the distance between the chicks and the light a couple times a day.

 

[MEchickenfarmer33]

ok thanks for the replys guys.

 

[Fred's Hens]

If your brooding box or pen is large, which I always recommend, the chicks self regulate, which means you don't have to be out there raising or lowering the lamp constantly. Yes, Autumn means temperature swings. But, it is my favorite time of year to brood.

Just make the heat circle nice and warm. If the chicks want the direct heat, on a cold 35 degree night, they should be able to enter the heat circle and be warm without having to "pile up" on each other. If the day is warm, they'll avoid the heat circle like the plague because they just won't want the heat. It really doesn't need to be anymore complicated than that. The chicks will do all the adjusting. I brood in a 5 x8 utility trailer with 2' sides. The chicks have a romper room of space. I can brood 10 to 40 chicks and they have all the room they need. These pix were taken last Feb in 20 degree night time temps in an unheated garage.

 

[SteveBaz]

I love your little home made kiddie brooder!!!

If you build a coop on it you'll have a swell Tractor Coop

Steve