Brooding outside/outdoors in summer heat

[jolenesdad]

I hesitated to start yet another brooding outdoors thread, but, I haven’t been able to find one that addresses brooding outdoors in Texas in the summer.

I’ve got a group of chicks coming mid-August and I’m located north of Houston. It will be hot... over 70 at night and mid 90s in the day and higher with a heat wave.

I really want to brood these chicks outside. I’m slightly concerned with placing my brooder inside the coop during the last couple weeks of August. It’s enclosed and doesn’t get breeze. There’s plenty of ventilation, but it’s still hot.

My current plan is to brood them on my back porch protected from the worst afternoon sun but available to the breeze for the first week or two and then move them to the coop. For a couple of days I’ll leave their secure brooder outside of the coop if it’s still super hot so that they can get acclimated with the older hens and then when I can cut doors in their brooder for them to escape back inside and away from the older ladies, they’ll go into the coop.

Does anyone see any problems with this setup? Would you be concerned about the heat inside the coop during the day? (My coop is fully enclosed 11x7 feet that the adults are in at night only. It’s attached to a covered area the horses cannot get to, and then that opens into a 1/2 acre field with no climb horse fencing.)

Also what about heating? On my back porch for the first week or two I was going to use an eco glo, and nothing when I move them to the coop with my current temperatures. Do I even need that in the beginning?

I just lost my first chicken to heat this year so I’m wanting to make sure I’m thoroughly prepared. I moved the chickens from inside the barn garage where they have lived for a year in a fully open coop to this fully enclosed coop and I don’t think I had enough ventilation. I now have 20 square feet of vents cut along the roof line.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I'm brooding outdoors in my screened porch. I use a heating pad. It's either on low or off during the day, low or medium at night, depending on the temps and age. By two weeks I don't use heat even at night.

I'm in Texas too and if you have snakes sometimes like I do, don't move them to the coop until they show they will run and fly rather than try to hide from danger. I've learned that the hard way. The snakes don't come around often but it's frustrating when they do.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A few years ago in Arkansas I brooded chicks in my brooder in the coop when we were having a ridiculous for us heat wave, temps in the mid 110's in the day, probably in the low to mid 80's during the night for a low. I turned the daytime heat off at 2 days (should never have had it on) and the overnight heat off at 5 days. Their body language told me they did not need it and they did not.

Which will be better, your porch or the coop? I don't know but my gut says the coop since you say it is out of the worst afternoon sun. If the porch were on the north side of the house totally in shade I might feel differently. You can set up a thermometer you trust both places and see if you can tell a difference. Since the wind does not always blow I'd discount a breeze unless you set up a fan, which you can do either place.

I have not used an EcoGlow but I'd set it up initially, on a very low setting if possible. If they need it at night they will use it, otherwise they won't. Watch them and let them tell you if they need it. Make sure the brooder is big enough they can get well away from it if they want to. I seriously doubt they will need that heat for two full weeks, maybe a lot less, but they will tell you if you will pay attention to them. Also, the brooder should have great ventilation. Hopefully the sides are wire. Don't build an oven or a heat trap. A well ventilated brooder is important.

Don't put the brooder where rain can blow in it. You don't want the chicks to get wet and chilled.

You have older chickens. Nighttime will cool down but you don't want to put a lot of additional heat in the coop. The EcoGlow should not be bad but the more ventilation in the main coop the better.

Overall I think your plan sounds great.

 

[jolenesdad]

@Ridgerunner both the coop and my porch are protected from afternoon sun, but my porch, being open, has much better ventilation. I’m thinking that’s best and closest to me for monitoring during the final peak weeks of summer.

Then I’ll move them to my coop. You can see the setup here. It’s attched to a small horse barn I’ve got by my house. I’m thinking of cutting two more large summer ventilation holes where I highlighted yellow. That’s the side they roost on, and where I’m going to put the brooder when they move in, too, under the poop deck. Those vents will serve both the roosting birds and the top of the brooder. They face our prevalent winds so will need to be sealed off For the winter.

As you can also see the chickens are right in with the horses so I’m also hoping that if I give the chicks a couple weeks before getting over there I may avoid any unnecessary squishings. :-/

I just recently had an unexpected set of rabbit babies from a pair of rabbits I rescued, I’m thinking of repurposing that 15sf rabbit hutch that’s got hardware cloth and ventilation on three sides for the brooder.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you are more comfortable with the porch by all means go for it. You are the one looking at it all day. I just tried to raise my concerns and sincerely hope you don't see the temperatures I did that summer. That was not pleasant. But I did not loose any chicks in the brooder to the heat, you can manage it.

That sounds like a great brooder.

 

[jolenesdad]

I got two thermometers today I’m gonna see if they calibrate together and then watch them over a couple days in both spots. I really needed on inside the coop anyway.

 

[jolenesdad]

Update: I’ve got the chicks in a coop on my back porch they’re doing great. The brooder is open on three sides and the third side leads to an enclosure where I have the eco glo.

When I got them I had them inside in a Rubbermaid clear tote with the eco glo to make sure they all were eating and drinking and pooping and put them right out that afternoon.

They used the eco glo inside on the first day and have not even ventured near it since. It’s around 75 in the morning at sunrise and they are all huddled in a ball against the solid wall.

If they needed the heat at night.... they would use it right? I assume since they were shipped together they just are familiar with huddling tight and prefer that.

Would you encourage them towards the heat in any way at night?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If they needed the heat at night.... they would use it right?

How many night have they huddled against the wall instead going to the eco-glow? I can't tell from your post but I'd assume at least one. They used it inside didn't they so they know it is warm? That should tell you how much they need it. I don't use the eco-glow but use heat lamps instead in my outside brooder. Sometimes in the middle of summer like now and sometimes in the winter when it is below freezing. Mine have always managed their heat requirements themselves straight out of the incubator or from the post office. I would expect yours would do the same.

I assume since they were shipped together they just are familiar with huddling tight and prefer that.

Not really. It is normal and natural for them to sleep in a group at night, whether they need the body heat or not. They just seem to like the company.

Would you encourage them towards the heat in any way at night?

Personally I would not, I never have. I trust my chicks to manage that themselves. If you feel you have to do something set a few in that eco-glow as they are settling down to sleep and see what they do.

 

[jolenesdad]

Thanks for coming back with your thoughts @Ridgerunner! Last night was the third night they huddled against the wall but this morning they were more spread out. They were so tight the first two nights I felt like maybe they were that tight because they needed more warmth but I feel good this morning seeing them a little looser.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

View attachment 1507513 View attachment 1507514 View attachment 1507515 View attachment 1507516 Update: I’ve got the chicks in a coop on my back porch they’re doing great. The brooder is open on three sides and the third side leads to an enclosure where I have the eco glo.

When I got them I had them inside in a Rubbermaid clear tote with the eco glo to make sure they all were eating and drinking and pooping and put them right out that afternoon.

They used the eco glo inside on the first day and have not even ventured near it since. It’s around 75 in the morning at sunrise and they are all huddled in a ball against the solid wall.

If they needed the heat at night.... they would use it right? I assume since they were shipped together they just are familiar with huddling tight and prefer that.

Would you encourage them towards the heat in any way at night?

You have a good setup. Don’t doubt yourself or them. I have been raising 9 chicks for the first time and they are in my house in MS. They are in their 6 th week. I had an eco glo for them the entire time up until the beginning of the fifth week ended good and then I took it out because they were fully feathered by then and it was time for them to begin to adjust to life without posh facilities. Lol! We don’t have central heat in our house anyway and I had a layer of thick wood shavings down for them and they were beginning already to rarely ever go under it by that time and too big for it anyhow. They are so big now that it’s close to time for them to be perching at night but they have not all gotten good at that yet. They still like to sleep close together in a pile as buddies. No major pecking order fights yet.

Back to your setup. It is fine and they will definitely go under that heat source from day one as needed and go out when not. Chicks are smart and good at learning fast from their Moms and providers. Just put it out there and they will use it. I like your set up. It’s a lot like our big dog kennel set up. Take care and good luck this summer in all the heat and acclimating everyone!
Pam