When to move chicks from heat?

[ryanboi1234]

My chicks are fully feathered at 4 weeks old can I move them in a indoor coop without heat lamp?

 

[hildar]

yes you can. I usually take my heat away from them at 2 weeks. Here in the south with 90+ egree weather in summer we don't need heat when they are in the coop. However until when they are feathered out and good sized I can't put them outside. Snakes would kill them in a second.

 

[junebuggena]

They are probably good to go out by now. One of the most common beginner mistakes is keeping the chicks under heat for too long. By 3 to 4 weeks old, they aren't fragile little infants any longer.

 

[PD-Riverman]

yes you can. I usually take my heat away from them at 2 weeks. Here in the south with 90+ egree weather in summer we don't need heat when they are in the coop. However until when they are feathered out and good sized I can't put them outside. Snakes would kill them in a second.

Snakes can not get into properly secured 1/2 hardware cloth pens. I raised probably 2000 to 3000 in ground pens last year-- during the warmer months----they were usually put in the pens at about 2 weeks(with heat for a couple more weeks) and I do not remember ever loosing one to snakes. And Yes I have plenty of snakes.

 

[hildar]

Snakes can not get into properly secured 1/2 hardware cloth pens. I raised probably 2000 to 3000 in ground pens last year-- during the warmer months----they were usually put in the pens at about 2 weeks(with heat for a couple more weeks) and I do not remember ever loosing one to snakes. And Yes I have plenty of snakes.

Note the word hardware cloth, most of us have coops made with chicken wire. However my neighbor stuck about 5 cords of wood piled up right behind my coop where My fence is for my property. It's about 12 inches from thecoop. Last year my roosters killed in total over 60 snakes. Chicks wouldn't have a chance.