Bringing Temperature Down 5 Degrees per Week

[pwog]

Hi All

My chicks are two weeks old. They are in a brooder in the garage. I have been using a heat lamp to maintain the temp between 90 - 95. Now the weather his hot and humid (at least for Maine). It is 95 in the garage without the heat lamp. I know I'm supposed to lower heat 5 degrees per week. What happens if I can't? If the temp stays 95 during the day and evening?

 

[Katydid2011]

Make sure their water is always cold and fresh. You may also want to use a fan or put a frozen water bottle or cool pack in their brooder, so they have the option of cooling down if they need to.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You'll likely have to find a shady, cooler place. Root celler? Basement?

Obviously, no lamp is needed if ambient air is 90+. Still, more chicks die of dehydration and over heating than most anything else, it seems.

 

[pwog]

The ambient air is actually in the 80s, but the garage gets to 95 during the day until the sun goes down. Then the air temp drops into the 60s so, I use the heat lamp at night.

My coop should be here on Thursday. What do you think of this idea:

I put the brooder in the coop with the brooder door open and leave the coop door closed. I will have screens in the windows of the coop for ventilation. I will keep the heat lamp over the brooder, but this way they can get to a cooler spot. Of course frequent water changes.???

 

[cmom]

Take the heat lamp out and put a regular 60 watt incandescent bulb in. You can use the heat lamp at night and turn it off during the day.

My brooder coop.