when to turn the heat lamp off?

[davimi]

Hiyas,
My chicks are 4 1/2 weeks old. Hopefully their coop will be finished this weekend. Should I turn their heat lamp off? I thought maybe I should prepare them for the real world. Will they be O.K. outside after 5 weeks old? It has been getting warm here in Ohio but the nights cool off in the fifties. Thanks for your help!

 

[lunkerchicken]

First of all

from Cape Cod, MA!! This site is wonderful - you will love it here!

I have a very similiar situation. My chickens are closingin on 5 weeks and I put them out in the coop earlier in the week. Our nights have gotten down in the 50's so I have the heat lamp out there at night but I open the door and let them roam from run to coop during the day - they are loving it! I will continue to use the heat lamp at night (if it is in th 50's) for another couple of weeks just in case - don't want the little girls to catch a cold.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

Im in ohio too. What we did was take their heat lamp out and hung it from the center of the their coop and turned it on each night. I think they were7 weeks old before i took it out. I noticed even at 7 weeks old there were some still laying under it. I now have a little night light out there because they were huddled on the floor, scared to death. I put each one on the roost and after a couple of nights there were getting on the roost themselves. They cant see in the dark.

 

[Kelsey Cathy]

Is that right? Chickens can't see in the dark? I've never heard that before.

 

[AK_Button_Mama]

I harden my chickens off like I do my plant starts... I keep mine under a lamp as long as they seem cold.... different breeds need the light longer I think! I have some Moderns that needed it for ever and the quail I raise dotn seem to need it at all after about 3-4 weeks...