# At what age can you stop with the heat lamps?



## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

This is a semi-hypothetical question... 

I am in my new home with my chicks, and they are happy under their heat lamps. 

I still have my old home, two hours away, that I am preparing for placing on the market, but yesterday's storm (which traversed the geographic regions of both homes) tossed a tree onto my driveway at the old home, taking out my power, which won't be restored for two or three days. 

Fortunately, the chicks are here, with power, and heat. So.. my semi-hypothetical question, how old should chicks be before they can survive without heat lamps? Let's assume ambient temperature is 70 degrees F. (The room overall they are in is perhaps 75 F, due to the heat lamps, but would probably drop to 70 if I'd lost power.)


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Day-week old babies need it about 95 degrees and you decrease by 5 degrees each week until "room temperature".By then they've got feathers to keep 'em warm.I've thought about that because a storm took out our electric and it took a week for them to get it back on.I came up with hand/feet warmers,I usually have those around and could be used in an emergency.I'm sure others have ideas,too.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I watch the chick behavior. I have the heat source on one side. If they start staying or sleeping away from it, I lower the heat. Until not needed. Then I put them in a hutch outside on the patio and if I have cool nights, I use a heat lamp just focused on one area and see how they do . In the summer it's much easier. Once they feather they just go out into a hutch.


----------



## jthornton (May 16, 2018)

The Cackle Hatchery has a good guide for baby chicks here. The best advice was given above "watch the chick behavior". Chicks vote with their feet.

JT


----------



## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

Thanks. My broilers are telling me enough with the heat already! So I am putting a lower wattage light in there now.

The heritage layers are like.. ooh, wow, man, we just luv Florida!! So they will remain as they are !!


----------



## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

As of yesterday, the broilers have dispensed with heat lamps all together. (They arrived May 3.) The layers still have one. Slower growers, and they're about five days younger.


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

You would be surprised at how sturdy they really are when it comes to cold.


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

The layers aren't slow growers but the meat birds are fast growers and it cuts down on time and expense from farm to table.They're bred to reach a certain weight by a certain age to be butchered at a few months old.


----------



## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

Broilers are now into two boxes, the toilet one holding five and the smallerish one holding three. I'm noting a few (not all) of the birds are trying to establish pecking order. I change litter every other day, and rotate the birds around... those two boxes... I'd say about 3 of them are trying to do pecking order thing. The 3 today in the smaller box are very mellow with each other. 

The layers are all doing well. One Wyandotte is decidedly not liking to be held, but everyone else is docile.


----------



## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

Glad to hear they are doing well.Are you going to be able to eat the meat birds?That is the question.(I failed miserably in that department )


----------



## Artemis_MA (Apr 20, 2014)

Well, the thing is, I ordered straight run for the meat birds, and if I get, say, 50% roosters, that's going to be rather unsustainable in a tractor or in a coop. So, yes, I believe I can. They'll have to end up in a freezer anyway, may as well be mine. But I understand...


----------



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I've not heard of male meat birds not getting along. They may do better without females in with them.


----------

