When to start turning the chicks light off at night

[4H kids and mom]

Well our chickies are going to be 3 weeks old on Tuesday. Being that we are brooding them indoors, and its still chilly outside so we keep the house heat on, the temp in their room stays at roughly 70-80 so we aren't using a heat lamp anymore. We've replaced the heat lamp bulb with a normal energy saving bulb strictly for light now. They are nearly fully feathered, and getting quite large (each just under a pound I'd say). I'd like to know when I can start turning off their light for 'night time', as we dont really plan to have a light in their coop (no electricity unless we run a 200' or so extension cord from the house!) and I need them to get used to 'dark'. Suggestions are appreciated!

 

[TheBigWRanch]

I would start by putting a red light bulb on them at night, so they still have a little light. I've heard that chicks will completely freak out in the dark, I don't know when that changes.

 

[shandea]

I just replied in a similar thread, so maybe I'll get my answer there. But I thought I read everything I needed to know before getting my chicks. However, this is the first time I've heard anything about not keeping chicks in the dark.

My chicks are about 3 weeks old, and it's about 80 degrees in the room they are being kept in. When it gets dark, it's dark and they go to sleep... no freaking out by my chicks. This is what happens on the farm, right?

Please let me know if this is not good for them somehow.

Thanks!

 

[allen wranch]

It depends on the situation.

If you use a light to keep the chicks warm, it needs to stay on 24/7 until they feather out enough to not need the heat.

If they are in an environment that allows the normal light/dark cycle without heat, they don't need a light at night.

What freaks the chicks out is going from a bright light to total darkness when you switch the light off.

I have electricity in my coop and I keep night lights on. It gives me enough light to check on the birds at night if I need to without shining a flashlight on them.

 

[4H kids and mom]

Ok, here's what I think I'm going to do, let me know how this sounds. The chicks are in a room with a big window that lets natural light in. Tomorrow, I'm going to turn off their over head light (which provides only light now, no heat because the room is warm enough) during the day (while its still light out) so they dont notice a real difference. Then as the sun goes down, and the room slowly becomes darker, they will adjust better to that right? Because they are all feathered out nicely now and the weather is lovely (upper 50's-60's at night and 70-80 during the day), we are moving them out to their coop next week, so I need to help them adjust now.

 

[allen wranch]

Sounds like a good plan !

 

[slystr]

well the power went out here for about 10 min and my 3 weekers were in the dark and they FREAKED OUT!!!!!

 

[silkiechicken]

I remember one year I had put put my bunch of 8 week old chicks out cold turkey into the dark. They cried and cried until I went out and placed each one on a perch lined up and pet each one while talking till they all went to sleep. Took about 30 min for about 3 days and all was good after that!

 

[Llysse]

Awww! How cute!!!!!!

 

[Cathintheuk]

Best to hatch them under a broody hen..... even if you have to borrow one.... the hen sorts it all out!