Is 60 degrees too cold at night for 4 week old chicks?

[chickenchok]

Without a heat lamp, is 60 degrees too cold at night for 4 week old chicks?
Thank you!

 

[Judy]

According to the temp guidelines here, yes. They need about 75 degrees now. They will do fine at 60 degrees when they are 7 weeks old.

 

[Mahlzeit]

It really depends on what kind of coop they will be in. I had a bunch of chicks arrive and needed my brooder for them so I put my 5 week old(I have 8) in another coop and they are doing just fine. It gets a little colder than 60 at night here too I'm in NY. They huddle up a bit but not as much as I expected. I was a little worried about it at first. But they are happy and healthy.

 

[aupoet]

Yes, 60 degrees is too cold and if the chicks are healthy they will let you know with loud chirping and huddling when they are cold. If you have a large group of them they will help to keep each other warm but there is a danger of some suffocating if they have to huddle for long periods. Also if they have to constantly warm themselves it will weaken them. Give them a heat source in a large enough area so they can move away from it if they get hot. Be sure the heat source is far enough away from surfaces that might catch fire. I have an article on Bukisa about hatching and raising chicks if you are interested. The link is: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/69719_raising-and-hatching-out-baby-chicks
If you like it please give me a good rating and good luck with your chicks.

 

[jennybensmom]

I think it's too cold for 4 week olds. I have four 6-wk and two 4-wk olds in an outside coop with a heat lamp. During the day I let them out, but when it gets to about 60 degrees they all huddle together and fluff up what feathers they have. The younger two are much happier when I get them back to the coop and turn the heat lamp on.

I did replace the 250watt bulb for a 100watt one, and it's placed pretty low. Those who are cold stay closer to the lamp where the thermometer registers 80, but I have another therm. that's about 4 feet away and is around 55 - 60 during the night. I think most of the chicks choose a spot between those two extremes.

 

[kittyariel]

I have had my girls 5 weeks tommrow, so I think they are just about 6 weeks old. Daddy is out in the garage finishing up their run enclosure and they will be going out tommrow!!!!! It has been mid 80s here during the day and mid to high 60s at night. I have been shutting their heat lamp off and on for weeks and they have never huddled or shivered even when it was 70 in the house. I am sure I will get up and check on them 5 times the first night they are out.

 

[chickenchok]

Thank you so much for all of your helpful responses. I guess I'll have to keep them in the brooder for awhile longer at night... they're outside in a covered pen all day when it's in the 70's or above. I don't have a good night time enclosure for them outside yet... I can't wait till they join the big girls in our big coop!

 

[ColoRockies]

I wish we got 60-70 weather at night lol that sounds like Florida weather . Our 4-6 week olds have to go outside in 30-40 night temps all year round

 

[lazy gardener]

Without a heat lamp, is 60 degrees too cold at night for 4 week old chicks?
Thank you!

Not if you have been weaning them from their heat source. By 3 weeks, (if brooded inside, which I'm guessing you have done) they should be off the lamp completely, and could be spending the warm part of every day outside, gradually increasing their exposure until they are outside all day. If they are fully feathered, and hardened off, they should be fine outside. My chicks brood outside with a heating pad cave, and wean themselves off heat completely by the time they are 4 - 5 weeks old. With night time temps in the 30's - 40's.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We put ours out at 3+weeks, 60s during the day, upper 30s at night. All survived, none got sick and became hardy, healthy adults.