When do you move babies to outside pen? Remove heat lamp?

[mamaof2wi]

At what age do you remove the heat lamp?
What age do you move from brooder to outside pen?

Thanks

 

[nchls school]

During warm weather I move chicks 3-4 weeks old to the baby coop without a heat lamp. When the weather is cooler I put a heat lamp in the baby coop. When the chicks stop going under the lamp to get warm it is shut off.

 

[mamaof2wi]

During warm weather I move chicks 3-4 weeks old to the baby coop without a heat lamp. When the weather is cooler I put a heat lamp in the baby coop. When the chicks stop going under the lamp to get warm it is shut off.

Thank you!

 

[LT71689]

My Pekins started avoiding the corner of their pen with the lamp in it after 2 weeks (and were panting a LOT even with the A/C on) so I shut it off despite seeing other people keep theirs on longer. I think you should prepare for X amount of time but just watch them, and if they stop wanting anything to do with it then listen to them and take it away. I tried only switching it on at night for a few days but I still never once saw them go back to it. At the end of the day it depends on your individual ducks I think. Pekins are quite fat and get hot easier than some other breeds.

When to put them outside seems to have a very wide variety of opinions (as far as I've seen anyway) some folks do it pretty early and it's dependent on weather, for some its dependent on whether or not theres any other animals already outside, others wait until they've got all their adult feathers in (8ish weeks). Mine are 6 weeks and still inside with me but it's more my preference to be with them than anything, we've got regular 80-90+F degree days with warm nights and barely any rain right now so they could easily go out permanently at this point, even without all their baby fluff gone.

 

[mamaof2wi]

My Pekins started avoiding the corner of their pen with the lamp in it after 2 weeks (and were panting a LOT even with the A/C on) so I shut it off despite seeing other people keep theirs on longer. I think you should prepare for X amount of time but just watch them, and if they stop wanting anything to do with it then listen to them and take it away. I tried only switching it on at night for a few days but I still never once saw them go back to it. At the end of the day it depends on your individual ducks I think. Pekins are quite fat and get hot easier than some other breeds.

When to put them outside seems to have a very wide variety of opinions (as far as I've seen anyway) some folks do it pretty early and it's dependent on weather, for some its dependent on whether or not theres any other animals already outside, others wait until they've got all their adult feathers in (8ish weeks). Mine are 6 weeks and still inside with me but it's more my preference to be with them than anything, we've got regular 80-90+F degree days with warm nights and barely any rain right now so they could easily go out permanently at this point, even without all their baby fluff gone.

Thank you so much!

 

[AllenK RGV]

It truly depends on the season for me. I also do not use the lamps either but provide heating via a heat pad @Blooie Mamma heat pad method. 250w vs 40w heat had me in a second. Normal day/night cycles and faster feathering out are huge bonuses. Mine only cost me 13 bucks at walmart as well. I have reared three generations that way and never suffered a loss but greatly reduced other issues like pasty butt being something I need to treat.

 

[mamaof2wi]

It truly depends on the season for me. I also do not use the lamps either but provide heating via a heat pad @Blooie Mamma heat pad method. 250w vs 40w heat had me in a second. Normal day/night cycles and faster feathering out are huge bonuses. Mine only cost me 13 bucks at walmart as well. I have reared three generations that way and never suffered a loss but greatly reduced other issues like pasty butt being something I need to treat.

Ok thanks! I did see many use mama heating pads...not sure I will hatch again as I am a total rookie and this was a stressful hatch ha! But if I change my mind I will have to get one of those.

(here are the babies..12 out of 15 hatched..many with assistance)

 

[AllenK RGV]

I apologize for not taking the time to link it directly, fixed.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/brooding-with-mama-heating-pad.67728/

There are so many variations on how you can set them up. For myself I bottom heat. She top heats as a normal broody bird would. I use a thermometer to verify they can have 95F but that is what has worked well for us at my latitude 26' N.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Ducks are warmer than chicks, I usually would take away lamp by 2 weeks, in summer, and only lamp them at night.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Ducks are warmer than chicks, I usually would take away lamp by 2 weeks, in summer, and only lamp them at night.

Yep I have no duck experience. I still need to get my pond built and then it is just letting the wild whistling ducks do their own thing for me.