chick area got wet

[TariOronar]

We have our almost 4 week old chicks outside with a heatlamp at night. They live in a wooden box that the top is wood on one side and wire on the other. To keep them from getting wet (or too hot/cold) we have a tarp that covers the wire part. Normally we keep the tarp up during the day for air flow, but today, it looked like it was gonna rain, so we left it down. My brother was visiting and took my 1 year old to look at the chicks, and he forgot to put the tarp down, and I thought he had. So, I didnt check it before I left...got back in the middle of the rain storm and went to check to make sure that the rain wasnt blowing in. The 1/2 of the box that's wire-topped was soaked, and the chicks were hiding in their little box i have in there. So, I turned on their lamp and pulled the tarp down and waited out the storm.
When I went back out there, the litter didnt feel particularly wet or dry, it was just kinda there, and my chicks were roaming around acting normally. (ok, a little annoyed cuase i picked them up to make sure they werent wet) What concerns should I have/do I need to do anything special for them?

Thanks!

 

[zazouse]

They will be fine we get a storm here about once a week and my chicks are fee range and do not always get out of the rain as they should, it is the high water that you need to worry about ,so as long as they are not left standing in the water they should be ok!

What kind of chicks do you have?

 

[SkyWarrior]

If the litter feels okay, it probably is. If your chicks are acting fine, they should be okay, I would think.

 

[pgpoultry]

I'm sure your chicks will be fine.....nature meant for them to cope with the elements.

On my last hatch a rookie hen (who barely ate or drank anything throughout her brooding) soaked her day old chicks with liquid poo (YUK). I went out to see two day old chicks moribund, soaked, and icy cold in a corner of the coop when the external temperature was no more than 45 degrees. I guessed they would die, but scooped them up and held them under my jumper against my skin (YUK again) until I got them back to the house. There I wiped off the mess with a warm damp cloth and placed them in a cardboard box on top of the Aga whilst plugging in the forced air incubator (to 98 degrees and 40% humidity). When it was near to setting I placed the chicks in. I was amazed to find them both up and chirping within a couple of hours. I returned them to momma hen a few hours later after feeding them in the incubator. They are now big, healthy, 9 weeks old chicks. If they can survive that, they can probably survive anything! it should be a walk in the park for yours!

Good Luck,

Sandie

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
At 4 weeks you shouldn't need a heat lamp. your wasting your electricity, I have week old chicks that are going outside with their momma and no need for a heat lamp (they are not fully feathered) Even when I look in their little coop, they don't seem to go under her, just lay beside her.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

Quote:
My Birds went threw a Tornado with 80 mph winds last night I was literally watching my chickens blow across the yard the rain was So big and hard It hurts when it touched the skin, It hailed for at least 15 minutes. On chick was tumbled in a fence over and over till it looked like she was ran threw a plucker. With only 2 loss's not even weather related (grill fell on one ladder fell on one) there all out side free ranging and seem just as happy as they were before them storms. I would say a little water is fine.
However remember Cocci lays dorment in the dirt and rain brings it to the surface. (assuming there has been chickens on your property previously. Keep an eye out for bloody stools. and thats a very slim chance im sure.