will they be ok

[gabrielle1976]

I have four chicks
2 RIR
1 BR
1 Silkie

and really they arnt mine, I got them for someone that didnt want to deal with the touchy time consumeing tiny chick phaze. He says he will probly come get them Next monday. They will be about 4 weeks old maybe.
He says he is gonna put a heat lamp in his shed and put straw on the floor for them . Will this be ok for them till they have there feathers and can go out side with the other chickens?

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Depending on where you are they should be fine by then. As long as the bedding is deep enough the the heat lamp is warm enough for them at night.

 

[minna]

Probably, but he needs to make sure sure sure that he has the lamp secured. I mean secured perfectly. If the lamp is knocked over, it will catch the straw on fire quickly.

 

[gabrielle1976]

I find my self haveing to repeat .. they are not mine they are not mine they are not mine....

 

[minna]

I'm not sure exactly what you meant by that post, who exactly are you repeating that for?

 

[fairladi_chick]

in other words,, gabrielle1976 is askin for the friend she is keeping the chicks for.

 

[Judy]

Makes me wonder if he also did not want to deal with learning how to care for them properly. I takes time and research at any age -- as if people here did not know this -- but I wonder if he does.

The OP might or might not be able to do anything about this, of course.

 

[welovechickens]

This is just my opinion, but I would ask if he would be willing to wait until they are 8 weeks to come pick them up. I have raised chicks for several people through the years who didn't have the time or means to care for tiny chicks. I always tell people 8 weeks at the very least. By then they are fully feathered, don't need a heat lamp, etc....

BUT.....if this guy wants to take the chicks at 4 weeks, I think they will be fine as long as they are kept out of drafts, and have a source of "gentle" heat. By that age they usually only need the temp at 75-80 degrees to be comfy. In fact I'd tell him to just use a single 40-watt bulb in one corner of the chick area, unless it is just incredibly cold where they will be kept.

Again, this is just my opinion.

It is hard to give up our babies, isn't it! I feel sad everytime mine are ready to go to their new home.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

It sounds like you have to keep telling yourself that they aren't yours, because you are getting so attached to them. I can understand that! They are so sweet!

It's hard not to worry about how they will do once you have to give them up. It's good he's planning on putting a heat lamp up for them. They will probably do just fine. I usually start chicks in the house at first and then move them to a coop or grow-out housing, to finish brooding them. That way I can give them better attention if they suffer from any shipping stress. Later, when they are stronger and bigger, they can have more room.

It's a good idea to hang heat lamps by a metal chain, using a secure fastener like a c-link that can close, rather than something that's open and can come unhooked, like an s-hook. Even clamp on lamps can have a safety chain attached, so that if they come loose, they won't fall to the floor. They'll just hang there.