when to turn off the lamp?

[chicky78]

My chicks are 5 1/2 weeks and almost all (except for my little australorp) have lost almost all of their downy feathers and have grown into their "big girl" feathers...except for the australorp. I believe she's a week younger than the rest and she is still quite fuzzy (her wings and tail are all normal feathers now, though). My question is...should I turn off the lamp during the day? Because I always find the chicks in the complete opposite corner of the cage during the day, just resting or playing. They very rarely will go under the lamp until it is dark & cool outside. The daytime temperature here is, at the lowest, about 50-55 F. Should I cut it off during the day, or is it providing them with radial heat throughout the cage? I'm most worried about the australorp as far as everything else is concerned. But I don't want them to get too hot?
Thank You!

 

[Gonzo]

You could try it and see how they do. If they seem cold, or chirp loudly, I'd turn it back on.

 

[fastpat]

I turned off my brooder light this morning and after about 30 minutes they were beginning to bunch up together, so I turned it back on. Ambient air temp in the brooder room is about 85-86 degrees, warmer under the light. My expectations are that as they need the their temp cooler they'll move further away from the illuminated area until they're fully away from it. Then I'll turn it off during the day and on at night for a while longer.

 

[nanawendy]

Nice reminder... We're almost there as well

Atlease for the teenagers. I have 4 brooders with 4 ages not counting my adults

Thanks for the refresher