How to wean chicks off heat lamp?

[cluckkatie]

Can they go from 70 degrees in the brooder (at 7 weeks of age) inside to all outside where it dips down to 30 degrees, or is that too much of a drop for them? I heard chicks do fine once they are FULLY FEATHERED, but I don't want to cut them off 40 degrees of heat if it is harmful.. is it??

Thanks

 

[azygous]

Yes, it's too wide a temperature spread.

You want to first turn off the heat, then move them to a garage or other place that's cool, but halfway between balmy and freezing. Do this over a week, gradually going from one extreme to the other. If it's still freezing or below when they move outdoors, you might want to give them a huddle box.

To get them used to a huddle box, introduce them to it now, as you turn off their heat indoors. Moving the huddle box into the coop will not only give them a cozy place to keep warm, but it will be something familiar to help transition them to the coop.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It is stressful to suddenly remove heat. You need to continue to decrease the temperatures until they are used to the lower temperatures. A sudden drop could be fatal. They need to be moved outside with their heat as you continue to drop the temperatures, and they acclimate.

 

[love4mychickens]

It is stressful to suddenly remove heat. You need to continue to decrease the temperatures until they are used to the lower temperatures. A sudden drop could be fatal. They need to be moved outside with their heat as you continue to drop the temperatures, and they acclimate.

x2

 

[Harmony Fowl]

If moving them to an intermediate location isn't easily done, I had good luck with putting the chicks in a room, shutting the vent and closing the door so the temperature was warmer than outside but colder than the rest of the house. From there I moved to daytime visits outside for awhile until the chicks seemed comfortable remaining outside all the time, which usually coincided with them being very hard to catch each night.

 

[chickens really]

Think of it this way..If Chicks are raised under a Hen? They do not always stay under her. They forage. When cold they seek heat from her. Your brooder should be set up so they have a heated place to sleep with an unseated area too. Then weekly you lower that temp till they no longer need heat..

 

[Altfrizzle]

I moved chicks out in November. I did so by turning off the lamp for extending periods of time each day, then off, then moved them into a bathroom where I closed the heating vent to the room, then opened the window for increasing periods each day.

 

[Folly's place]

You can also change the bulb in the heat lamp, decreasing the wattage. Pet stores have red heat bulbs in 150w and 75w sizes at least, and they are useful. Raise the lamp so it's not as warm, and enlarge their space. They should have cool to warm available.
Mary

 

[Mimiruu]

I think it is mainly focusing on their reaction. When turning off the light watch if they huddle close together or if they are actually still all roaming around doing their own thing. Sometimes I will let them outside for a little bit to see their reactions. Then I move up to letting them spend most of the day outside in the coop run. Then at night they go out in a little cage with the huddle box ( I didnt know where was a name for it) to go in and keep each other warm. Next thing I know they are perched with the rest of the birds and fully dependent.