Chicks in July

[Clairemarie1982]

Hey all. We have a flock of 10. Our chickens we raised both times were born in April. We used an indoor brooder with a heater and brought them outside to the coop at 6 weeks. Our neighbor hatched two chicks on July 1 that she cannot care for and we want to take them. Being it’s so hot do they still need a heat plate? Also can they go out to the coop sooner than 6 weeks? We live in Connecticut. We don’t use air conditioner and our house has been a steady 82-85 degrees lately. Thanks in advance I appreciate it!

Claire

 

[WallyG74]

Being just 2 chicks, I might give them a little heat for about 3 weeks. A larger group can huddle up and stay warm if needed. It is quite warm outside but I would watch them and let their behavior be my guide.

 

[azygous]

Once you understand why chicks need heat, you'll know when they need heat.

A baby chick has a body temperature of 103F. Somehow, like all living creatures, they need to maintain that. The problem with baby chicks is that their down fluff is a poor insulator against body heat loss, so when the ambient temperature is quite cool, chicks will lose body heat rapidly unless they can warm up under a heat source.

On the other hand, as the ambient temp rises, baby chicks lose body heat far more slowly, and as the air temp gets up near what their body temp is, baby chicks lose practically no body heat at all, especially if they are eating calories. It's a wash.

If you aren't a seasoned chick brooder, the best way to tell if your chicks need extra heat is to watch their behavior. The first thing chicks do when they feel chilled is to huddle closely with other chicks. That's a signal they need a heat source to warm themselves.

 

[Clairemarie1982]

Thank you for your helpful replies!