What do i do?!

[ManuelsChickens]

So I might get some silkies next week or on august if I don't get them in august then there will be a little left.
The problem is what if i get them in august I start school around august 20th. What am i going to do? Where am i going to put them? What am i going to do for the temperature to be right? Cause i can't leave the heat lamp on! What if it burns the house! Please Help!

 

[BuffOrpington88]

Sorry, you need almost always need a heat lamp to keep the correct temperature unless you have a broody hen for the chicks. My advice would be to wait for a more convenient time, but if you find a way to make it work, that's great!
Good luck!

 

[ManuelsChickens]

But I already ordered them!

 

[CAjerseychick]

So I might get some silkies next week or on august if I don't get them in august then there will be a little left.
The problem is what if i get them in august I start school around august 20th. What am i going to do? Where am i going to put them? What am i going to do for the temperature to be right? Cause i can't leave the heat lamp on! What if it burns the house! Please Help!

How hot is it in August in Illinois?-- I am up in the mountains and we had a bit of a heat wave-- we hit a 100 degrees during the day and upper 90's for most of the first week I had my chicks so I did not use a heat lamp during the day just at night -- would that work for you? Are your classes at night or during the day?
ALso to reduce the possibiity of fire I secured the heat lamp to a bench next to a wire dog crate (it was line with card board to prevent drafts/ chick escape) so the lamp was not in proximity to anything super flammable... I felt better with it on the outside--
Also I hung a feather duster from the ceiling of the crate so the chicks could huddle under it for extra warmth-- they will be a week old tommorrow! Yay!

 

[ManuelsChickens]

How hot is it in August in Illinois?-- I am up in the mountains and we had a bit of a heat wave-- we hit a 100 degrees during the day and upper 90's for most of the first week I had my chicks so I did not use a heat lamp during the day just at night -- would that work for you? Are your classes at night or during the day?
ALso to reduce the possibiity of fire I secured the heat lamp to a bench next to a wire dog crate (it was line with card board to prevent drafts/ chick escape) so the lamp was not in proximity to anything super flammable... I felt better with it on the outside--
Also I hung a feather duster from the ceiling of the crate so the chicks could huddle under it for extra warmth-- they will be a week old tommorrow! Yay!

It is usually around 80-98 degrees. But I'm going to have them in my bedroom. And it's 78 degrees in my house I have school in the day 8:00 A.M. till 2:15 P.M. And Awww what breed are they?

I was also wondering do they really have to be at 100 degrees when there 2-3 days old? ( Cause of shipping.) Cause my heat lamp isn't working good, and it keep burning the lightbulbs! it burnt three already! Also the weather in illinois is usually always above 90 degrees. But there in my bedroom and I don't have no where to put them outdoors, except my garage but I don't know if it's the same Temperature than what it is outside, and what if they get out of the breeder! There going to be in a cooler breeder.

 

[CAjerseychick]

It is usually around 80-98 degrees. But I'm going to have them in my bedroom. And it's 78 degrees in my house I have school in the day 8:00 A.M. till 2:15 P.M. And Awww what breed are they?

I was also wondering do they really have to be at 100 degrees when there 2-3 days old? ( Cause of shipping.) Cause my heat lamp isn't working good, and it keep burning the lightbulbs! it burnt three already! Also the weather in illinois is usually always above 90 degrees. But there in my bedroom and I don't have no where to put them outdoors, except my garage but I don't know if it's the same Temperature than what it is outside, and what if they get out of the breeder! There going to be in a cooler breeder.

Get a thermometer from Ace Hardware or Walgreens (or start your car in the garage and see what the car says) and see what temp it is in the garage-- we had our first set of chicks in the built in garage sink at night for a few days til we got the wire dog crate set up---(it wasnt metal some kind of hard plastic sink) with the lamp attached to the top rim and a wire screen over the sink so the lamp couldnt fall into the sink-- and that worked great..But smallish but then our first of chicks was only a set of 6.. now we have another 15-- all Jersey Giants... SO the sink wont work for this set....
I am not a Flock Master or anything like that but I think the idea is that new baby chicks need to be supported in maintaining their OWN INTERNAL TEMP which is slightly above 100 degrees-- they cant do it on their own, hence either the lamp or the environmental temp needing to be 90plus degrees to help them keep their own internal temps at a viable temp (somewhere else on this forum it said a chickens actual body temp is like 107 degrees-Wow)....

 

[ManuelsChickens]

Get a thermometer from Ace Hardware or Walgreens (or start your car in the garage and see what the car says) and see what temp it is in the garage-- we had our first set of chicks in the built in garage sink at night for a few days til we got the wire dog crate set up---(it wasnt metal some kind of hard plastic sink) with the lamp attached to the top rim and a wire screen over the sink so the lamp couldnt fall into the sink-- and that worked great..But smallish but then our first of chicks was only a set of 6.. now we have another 15-- all Jersey Giants... SO the sink wont work for this set....
I am not a Flock Master or anything like that but I think the idea is that new baby chicks need to be supported in maintaining their OWN INTERNAL TEMP which is slightly above 100 degrees-- they cant do it on their own, hence either the lamp or the environmental temp needing to be 90plus degrees to help them keep their own internal temps at a viable temp (somewhere else on this forum it said a chickens actual body temp is like 107 degrees-Wow)....

Then what am I going to do? Should I Just leave the outside in the balcony with a heat lamp and see if it goes above 100 degrees ?

 

[selenek]

I have my chicks in a plastic tub on my kitchen table with the heat source (infrared heat bulb) suspended from above from a hanging light fixture. I made sure I got the lamp (that the bulb screws into) with a ceramic base (not plastic). The ceramic is less likely to overheat and melt. The lamp has been going almost nonstop (except during a couple of 90 degree days) for over a week now. Suspending the lamp over the box of chicks so that it does not touch anything flamable gives me the confidence to leave them alone with the lamp on. I've done so without issue several times so far.

Other than that, I would ask a good friend or neighbor to birdsit or check them a couple of times during the day while you are in school.

Hope this helps.

Selene

 

[CAjerseychick]

Then what am I going to do? Should I Just leave the outside in the balcony with a heat lamp and see if it goes above 100 degrees ?

Sorry Manuel didnt see you had this query til now...
I would worry about them frying in direct sunlight (thats why last week I had them under a tree in complete shade when it hit 104)--
I would do a test run-- set up your box, hopefully your balcony is covered (I could see this working if it is a covered balcony) and check the temp a few times a day during the day and see what the temp range is as well-- also another note of caution -- a box outside needs to be covered to prevent aerial predation. The garage may be safer if its ventilated and not too cool (ours is much cooler then the house or outside).... Or, am currently using our Bathroom due to some rennovation we are doing-- and am really liking that set up-- it has a window I can leave open for ventilation, I have had to put the lamp back on since our temps dropped 20 degrees during the last week

-- and the lamp is on all day and night so far no issues (temps up to 85 today so I may try them outside in their Big Box under the tree for an hour or two of some Fun time -- they are sort of outgrowing the Brooder).

 

[ManuelsChickens]

Sorry Manuel didnt see you had this query til now...
I would worry about them frying in direct sunlight (thats why last week I had them under a tree in complete shade when it hit 104)--
I would do a test run-- set up your box, hopefully your balcony is covered (I could see this working if it is a covered balcony) and check the temp a few times a day during the day and see what the temp range is as well-- also another note of caution -- a box outside needs to be covered to prevent aerial predation. The garage may be safer if its ventilated and not too cool (ours is much cooler then the house or outside).... Or, am currently using our Bathroom due to some rennovation we are doing-- and am really liking that set up-- it has a window I can leave open for ventilation, I have had to put the lamp back on since our temps dropped 20 degrees during the last week -- and the lamp is on all day and night so far no issues (temps up to 85 today so I may try them outside in their Big Box under the tree for an hour or two of some Fun time -- they are sort of outgrowing the Brooder).

But In The Garage It's Always Around The 80's ! And Outside In The Balcony It's Always Around The 90's. And Their Going To Be 1 Day Old Baby Chicks, What Should I do ? should I Get A Umbrella And Put It In The Balcony Then But The Brooder Under The Umbrella Will That Work ? The Problem Is I Can't Find A Umbrella! And If I Leave Them Under The Balcony Then The Rest Of The Flock Will Bother Them !