when do you remove the heat lamp from the chickies?

[fallenweeble]

so, i've got these allegedly bantam sized sultan chicks cookin' in my front room. they are the size of small elephants now.
i've been moving the heat lamp further away each week. when is it okay to take the lamp away? and once that is accomplished might i begin to intorduce them to the flock?
i've got to get them out of the house while they are still small enough to fit through the door. ("bantam" my you know what!)

 

[silky ma]

When they are mostly feathered. With my silkies I use this rule when the heat lamp is 2 feet from the bottom of their penn I can safely remove it.
They usually let you know by trying to get away from the heat. If introducing to the outdoors during cold weather let them out at 55 deg if pretty much feathered than gradually let them out a little earlier each morn. This will slowly acclimate them to the cold weather.

 

[silkiechicken]

I take the light away at about 6 weeks old for most birds. It depends on how feathered they are and how many you have in the bunch. I brood mine outside in their brooder and then grow pen. I wait till they are about the same size to put them with the adults. 12-16 weeks. However, I have done younger and older as it depends on the situation. Do know that there will be a few weeks of pecking on each other and it is best to give them tough love and let them fight it out even if there are some bloody combs and hungry babies. Mine free range so it's not that big of an issue. What also helps is to let the old and the new intermingle for a month or so before they HAVE to live together. Good luck.