When to shut light off?

[victor1800]

At what age do you shut light off in your barn brooder?I have 15 three week old chicks just wondering when I could turn light off when they are outside in barn?

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Three weeks is a bit young to be without a heatlamp outside. Especially in CT. I dunno about you up there but we have about 5 inches of snow on the ground. I lowered the heatlamp for my fourteen 6 week old chicks and closed them inside the coop today and it's still only registering 48 degrees in there.

The general rule is that you wait until they are fully feathered out (usually between 6 and 8 weeks) and then you gradually adjust them to lower temps by turning the lamp only on at night at first and then for shorter periods until they are acclimatized to the outside temps.

 

[victor1800]

Thanks ,I am going to put them out at about 5 weeks old and put light on a timer. Then I may put the light on overnight when it is real cold. Funny I post this today and I go to check on my chickies and find them all quiet and huddled together because the brooder lamp bulb burned out!

 

[victor1800]

power is going on and off from snow storm!

 

[goldies99]

i would keep the heat on them till they are about 6 weeks or fully feathered...its cold out for them to be outside right now while they are so young....

 

[NottinghamChicks]

With no generator they need to be inside. I wouldnt have them without heat until they are fully feathered out.