I have four baby chicks that almost one month old and and in a few weeks they will be going out into the hot Texas outdoors. I understand that each week you are supposed to reduce the temp in the brooder by 5 degrees until you hit 70 but if my chickens aren't likely to experience temperatures that cool outside should I continue to reduce it in the brooder?
It was 110 here yesterday. I am in southern Oklahoma which is very similar to the heat in texas. We put our3 wk old chicks out in the grow out pen last week. They are doing fine. The batch before them I think I put out about 4 wks but it was only getting in the 90s then. I honestly was scared they were getting too hot I'm the brooder so that is why I moved them out. I keep my brooder boxes out doors & even with fans on in the shade it was still between 95-99 every day, so that is when I knew this batch needed to go out in the grow out pen to be cooler.
Does the lowering of the temp actually help the chicks in any way besides getting them used to lower temps?
Quote:Yes in this part of the country I do move chicks out much sooner due to the imaginable heat, if they are of a heartier breed it shouldn't be a problem, keeping them comfortable is key in this case and they will do fine.
Quote:That advice is only good for the chicks raised in early spring in the cooler climates. It is so that by the time the chicks are old enough to go out, it will be about 70 degrees outside. More chicks die from heat stroke than from getting cold. Young chicks have a hard time regulating body heat either direction, but too much heat stress is worse for them.
Ah! Thank you for posting the question. I was just coming on to ask something similar. My babies are a week old and out in the garage because I can't keep a huge brooder for 27 fast growing chicks in the house. It's easily 90 degrees in the shaded garage during the day, and I caught them "panting" or something yesterday, so I turned off the heat lamp. Turned it back on over night, but I always see them staying as far away from the lamp as they can (and it's a HUGE brooder box). We're in central OK, and it's been just super hot the last few days. Glad to see my instincts are spot on. Thanks!
I put mine in the coop at two weeks if the weather is favorable. I keep a light in there that I can turn off or on accr. to the temps. They do fine.. I have a brooder for them there. Gloria jean
This time of year at four weeks old they don't need any additional heat so long as they are not wet and in the wind. I've been turning my brooder lights off during the day for a month now. Turn them back on when it's good dark and only for the youngest birds.
So we just got our chicks yesterday. 26 of them, hatched Friday and shipped. They are all doing great but I was wondering the same thing about the temp outside. Ideally I wanted the coop finished so I could brood outside in their coop but it is not finished. We have them inside in a large wooden box brooder. They are all quite comfortable at 95 degrees right now. My question is should I try to get the coop finished ASAP so that they can go outside? Will this allow them to better regulate their temps and get used to the summer heat as well? https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/90395_dscn1738.jpg https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/90395_dscn1737.jpg
