When do I turn off heat lamp for outside chicks?

[GardenJen77]

Greetings!

I have 20 chicks that I moved outside into their own small coop and run 2 weeks ago. The chicks vary in age from 4 weeks to 8 weeks.

In the coop they have a heat lamp and a regular light. The regular light, is used to light up the dark coop during the day, and is turned off at night. We probably won't use it anymore, since they spend a lot of time out in the run, except for the days they are locked in the coop due to bad weather. The heat lamp runs all day.

We are still having temperatures that dip into the low 20s at night. When would it be OK to turn off the heat lamp? I'm in no real hurry, as I want to make sure the chicks survive through the cold nights. I just need clarification on when it's OK.

 

[rascal66]

What's the temp like during the day? Take a look at these chicks- they will not need a heat lamp when they are fully feathered. At 8 weeks, they will most likely be fully feathered already?
Please use caution when keeping a heat lamp inside of a coop. It probably doesn't need to be on during the day, and only at night if anything...
I have 6 week old outside and doing just fine. Then again, they are almost fully feathered and huddle together at night. Also, its maybe high 30's coldest at night. Pretty warm during the day.

 

[GardenJen77]

What's the temp like during the day? Take a look at these chicks- they will not need a heat lamp when they are fully feathered. At 8 weeks, they will most likely be fully feathered already?
Please use caution when keeping a heat lamp inside of a coop. It probably doesn't need to be on during the day, and only at night if anything...
I have 6 week old outside and doing just fine. Then again, they are almost fully feathered and huddle together at night. Also, its maybe high 30's coldest at night. Pretty warm during the day.

During the day we get into the high 40s on some days, but at night is when it still gets quite cold. As stated, we have chicks of varing ages. The youngest ones are almost completely feathered out.

We do use caution when using the lamp. It is hanging from the roof, not touching anything, so if something were to go wrong, it isn't a hazard.

 

[aart]

I'd leave it on for now.
Any way to sneak a peek and see how they are arranged around the heat?

 

[GardenJen77]

I'd leave it on for now.
Any way to sneak a peek and see how they are arranged around the heat?

The younger ones stay around it more, but it's also near their feed and water, so hard to say if that's why they are there or not. I turned it off for now, and will see how they do. Over night temps are supposed to hold at high 20s and above this next week.

 

[aart]

The younger ones stay around it more, but it's also near their feed and water, so hard to say if that's why they are there or not.

Move the feed and water away from the heat....
....best to do that anyway after the first few days.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd also leave it on for now just because you have some younger ones in the group and it is rather chilly at night. In a week or two they should be feathered enough to remove heat.

 

[GardenJen77]

Move the feed and water away from the heat....
....best to do that anyway after the first few days.

The coop was recently rebuilt to house the chicks, and it only had one main "human access door". The "chicken door" was kept screwed shut, until they got bigger and the weather was warmer. So he hung the light near there, as well as put the food and water there so we could reach it. Since the chicks own door is now open, I can move the feed and water near that door now.