[gracie]

At the moment my chicks are in a large box in my utility room with a 60 watt fireglow bulb.  They will be 4 weeks old on Friday. Feathers are coming along nicely.
Yesterday we let them go in their run for a few hours as it was really hot here and they loved it, we took them in about 4 when we could feel the temp change. Today i let them out for just over an hour as it was a bit cooler, their run does have a really sheltered area.
I have read that they are ready for the big outdoors at 6 weeks and am wondering how to prepare for that. I would imagine that the heat has to be gradually reduced so they can climatise. As they are indoors should the lamp be turned off during the day now? Then i am thinking for a few days before going out i should also remove it at night as it would be too much of a shock to go from heat to nothing.
 What are your thoughts on maybe moving them from my house to the kitchen in the back of my garage before putting them outside.  There is no insulation or anything in there but it would be warmer than outside.
I just hate to think of them being  cold and unsettled. I looked today and they went and had a kip under the lamp though when they are awake they dont bother with it, the box is big enough for them to get well away from it. Are they just going to the lamp because it is nice rather than needing the warmth, i know if i fancy a kip in the afternoon i always sit the end of the settee with the sun on it, not because i am cold but because it is just nice.
Be nice to hear what you have all done.

[GrannieAnnie]

We turned the heat lamp off the chicks during the day at 4 weeks, but left it on at night for a further week, then it went off completely.  But we did get one cold night and they huddled into a corner of the brooder shed and we lost a few as when you've got a lot they tend to pile on top of each other when they get cold.

But as yours are indoors, I'd say definitely no heat during the day, and maybe not at night depending on the temps at night.  or in the kitchen at the back of the garage and again see hat the nightime temps are like for a bit of heat.

But ours were over in their big house at 6 weeks with just a red light on as its scary in a big house with 200 mates!!!

[gracie]

Wow you have got alot, i only have 6 until they are sexed that is. Think i will turn the lamp of in the day from Friday as its going to be a bit cooler the next couple of days and i am at work so wont be able to check them, i will be about at the weekend so will be able to keep an eye on them, hoping to get them out in the pen for a bit everyday.
I cant believe how warm they are, especially their feet when I pick them up, even after being outside, also how spongy their feet are now.
Their nails seem long, do i leave them as they are so young for now. I was going to put a few slabs in the pen as i thought that they may keep the length down a bit by walking on them, would this work or will i have to cut them?

[GrannieAnnie]

I've never had to cut their nails Gracie, so once they are outside, I'm sure they will be okay!

Yes, 200 x 8 week old babies and they are all girls!!! lol  they are hybrids so colour sexed before we got them at day old.  Thee is a slight chance of a cockerel in amongst the white ones, as they are feathered sexed, but hopefully not!  There 260, but the others have already gone to their new homes.

[gracie]

I would hazard a guess that you havent named them all 

[GrannieAnnie]

Silly, they've all got names!

No.1, No.2 No.3,,,,,,,,,,,No.200!

 

[Squiggly]

Mine are all about 2 and a half weeks old now and are lovely     Noisy but lovely! Just bought a hanging drinker as Im getting sick of emptying the sawdust out of it every couple of hours 

I really hope all yours or the majority of them are girls xx  Im keeping my fingers crossed for one of mine in particular (the one that couldn't stand) but I bet they all end up being boys lol 

I think at about 4 and a half weeks Ill turn off the electric hen in the day and then at 5 and a half weeks (maybe 5 weeks) take it out altogether.
Im wondering if they'll miss having something to sleep under, Isn't it funny how we turn into worrying chicken mummies 

[gracie]

I went into them this morning and they were all asleep on the far end of the box away from the lamp, i take it as a sign that they were too warm near it. So i left the lamp off today. As the forecast was cool and windy for us today i left them indoors but put them outside an hour ago when i got home from work, its lovely and sunny out at the moment. I dont think i shall use the lamp in the day again and will check them in the morning to see where they are sleeping, if they are away from the lamp i may even not have it on at night again. I guess being indoors rather than in a garage or shed raises the temperature naturally anyway.
It was so funny to see them just now, as 4 of them were having a dust bath together, their first, though my two lovely white ones are now grey. Mo was a bit of a tinker as he (sure he is a cock) was trying to have a dust bath on top of Esmerelda and she was not happy getting squashed like that. I was really pleased that they chose the area i wanted them to use for a dust bath, as it is under cover and hopefully will stay mud free, i am going to try putting some sand in that area and see if they still like it.
Also with all the space the chest bashing has moved onto a new level, they are like mini sumo wrestlers. If i didnt have dinner to prepare and a catch up on here i think i would be  out there all the time.
I think we do worry about if we are doing the right thing, but with finding them sleeping the way they were this morning i feel they were giving me a message. It just seemed strange seeing them sitting in a more darkened area after the light went off.

[Squiggly]

Sounds like they are getting on really well Gracie 
Id have done the same thing as you in regards to turning off the heat lamp after finding them asleep away from it, it is like they were sending you a message  I love the pics of them they are looking so cute.
Mine are starting to sprout feathers randomly now, they look very funny at the moment  Its nice that we have chicks just a couple of weeks apart, we can compare how they are doing and it will be nice to see pictures of them growing up. x