A/C for chicks?

[Stephine]

Ugh, it's gotten hot here all of a sudden, and the house is heating up. Chicks are now 4 weeks old and I have started turning their heat lamp off during the day when the house is at 70, they are totally fine with that. But today went up to 90 outside and the house went up to 79.... Do I need to turn on the A/C for them? I know my grown chickens can handle up to 90 ok, over that I need to turn on the mister and ice their water etc... but chicks? I imagine they would probably be best under 80 at least. Who has experience with brooding in hot weather?

 

[lazy gardener]

Will you be putting AC in the coop? Those babies are old enough to be in the coop, without heat or AC! Watch them for signs of heat stress, be sure they have adequate shade, and if they act stressed, mix up some electrolytes for the, but always be sure they have plain water available also.

 

[Stephine]

I don't think they are quite coop ready, yet, lazy gardener. This being Sonoma county, it gets cold at night, often in the mid fourties and there are only two of them, so not like they could keep each other warm very well... They still need to grow out their feathers a bit more.
I think I read that chicks have a harder time with the heat than older chickens, and my big girls, with this sudden heat were definitely panting...
If I put a heatlamp in the brooder to get the temp up to 90 I am sure people would say that's not good for the chicks, no?

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Mine were out in the coop at that age with nights in upper 30sF. As long as they are kept dry and out of the wind, they will be fine. You could put a huddle box in the coop if you're concerned.

 

[Stephine]

Mine were out in the coop at that age with nights in upper 30sF. As long as they are kept dry and out of the wind, they will be fine. You could put a huddle box in the coop if you're concerned.

Did you have just two chicks?
Also, the question wasn't really about when can they handle the cold nights, but about how much heat they can handle at 4 weeks old.

 

[Stephine]

Will you be putting AC in the coop?  Those babies are old enough to be in the coop, without heat or AC!  Watch them for signs of heat stress, be sure they have adequate shade, and if they act stressed, mix up some electrolytes for the, but always be sure they have plain water available also.

Also, of course I won't have an A/C in the coop for them, just as I won't have a heat lamp for them there.... that doesn't mean I don't need to put a heat lamp over their brooder.
And the chickens out in the coop and pen, while not having air conditioning, get help to cool down: Shade of course, I bring them ice water and other cold treats, water down the area around the run and under the coop in the morning and if it gets really hot (over about 92) I turn on the mister for them. In the house where the brooder is I can just turn on the A/C and save myself some trouble....

So - I guess I'll have to figure this one out myself....

 

[lazy gardener]

I don't think they are quite coop ready, yet, lazy gardener. This being Sonoma county, it gets cold at night, often in the mid fourties and there are only two of them, so not like they could keep each other warm very well... They still need to grow out their feathers a bit more.
I think I read that chicks have a harder time with the heat than older chickens, and my big girls, with this sudden heat were definitely panting...
If I put a heatlamp in the brooder to get the temp up to 90 I am sure people would say that's not good for the chicks, no?

It sounds like you are concerned about cold nights, but also concerned about the current trend of 90* day time temps. My thought is this: they will do fine with those night time temps. They should be completely weaned off all heat at this time. as for the warm temps: they need to be adjusting to that as well, and the only way that is going to happen is if they are exposed to those temps. I would simply put them outside, and see how they do. My chicks are weaned from heat by 4 weeks old, with temps down into the 30's. And you are right, warm temps can be just as problematic for young chicks as cold temps. Last year, I had several days when I had to mix up some electrolytes for my flock, youngsters and oldsters all got some electrolytes, and I could tell that it made a definite improvement for them. At 4 weeks old, they are as ready to handle warm weather as they ever will be. Even here in Maine, my older girls were panting a bit with the last warm day we had. It got all the way up to 74*!