When & how to wean chicks from having the light on all night?

[chickenbike]

I have 4, 4-week old pullets. Currently I turn the light off during the day, but turn it on at 2100 and leave it on through the night.

When is a good time to begin leaving the light off all night? Any suggestions for a good way to approach nights with no light?

 

[Chickenmagnet]

I wanna know too.

Bit frustrated with this forum being more about showing pictures than talking about raising the babies.

Thanks.

 

[PearlD]

Make sure they have their feathers so they can keep warm at night. Thats an good indication. I have some out right now that are 2--4 weeks old, but it's been warm here, and there are 20 chicks/turkey poults together so they keep each other warm!

I personally don't 'wean' them from the brooder lamp. I just see that they are feathered out enough and take the light out. Cold Turkey.

They will also want to 'roost' on things. I usually put a bamboo stalk in the brooder and watch to see when they start roosting on them at night. Even the little ones like to sleep up high sometimes, too!

If you have a special pen ready for them, you can always hang the brooder light outside in it. They will eventually lose interest in sleeping under it......well.....I say that....... I do have one hen that would still lay up under a heat lamp.....and she's a year old!!!

Good luck.....they will be fine as long as they have some 'big' feathers!

 

[PotterWatch]

Quote:
I think the forum can be what you make it. I haven't yet had a question go unanswered and I enjoy seeing the pictures, so I think it's the best of both worlds.


As far as the light, I just waited until I felt it was warm enough at night and they had enough feathers and I stopped turning the light on. About 8wks old I think.

 

[chickenbike]

I know it's warm enough now throughout the night.....I was more concerned with it being so dark for so long all of the sudden.

They are in a chicken ark where the top of the A-frame is their night roosting area and where I lock them in. There is a full window on one end of the ark so they do have all the moonlight (when it's out) and will have morning light as soon as it appears.

 

[Oblio13]

I'd err on the side of caution. I hatched some of Bev's Marans last year, and the first night without a light they piled up in a nesting box and smothered the ones on the bottom. It was a heartbreaker, because they were a couple months old and fully feathered.

 

[CATRAY44]

l have to say, I love the advice .... and the pictures!! I learn a lot by "watching" what others are using/doing with their chicks.

 

[chickenbike]

Thanks Oblio.....that is my fear. And these are special Patridge Chantecler's.....took a lot of effort to locate the breed and hatch them. It would break my heart to lose any.

 

[ams3651]

the first time I turned the light out they freaked out. So I replaced the heat lamp with a 100 wt bulb and after a week or so I moved it higher above them, like 2 feet or so. After a couple days I started turning it to face up so they just had dim light. After a week a turned it off at around 9pm, now they have been off the light for about a week.. they were about about 4-5 weeks when I started this I think, it was warm enough at that time. The time really does go fast.

Also I added a higher roost as someone mentioned they might feel more secure if they could be up higher to roost.

 

[Reinbeau]

Mine seem to freak out with the heat lamp on! I haven't had it on now for a week. They seem fine, although they don't sleep on their roosts, they sleep all together along one side of the brooder (no real corners to pile up in).