Quote:
All the more reason to brood them outdoors. Sounds ideal, with the shade.
Did I say on this thread that the recommended heat levels were too high for both my batches? I had them down to 80 within a week. I was going by how they acted. Makes no sense to me to provide heat that they must clump together to get away from.... In any case, the 90+ is plenty of warmth. They might need a bit of protection from drafts for the first few days, even in that heat, of course. But 90 degrees is 90 degrees. You can brood them outdoors and provide no supplemental heat in 90 degree weather, or you can brood them indoors in A/C and run a heat lamp to keep them warm. Why anyone would choose the latter is beyond me.
They might have some trouble dealing with the high temps, even as babies, I agree. But they are going to be Florida chickens. Much better to deal with heat in their baby quarters than raise them in A/C and then expect them to adjust to 100 degree days.
Just watch them. They will tell you. If they pile under the heat lamp or light bulb, they are cold. If they gather away from it, they are hot. Not rocket science. And the cooler you keep them, the faster they will feather and grow.
Mama hens take them outdoors in freezing weather. True, they are available to warm them under their wings, but the chicks also spend several minutes at a time out in the cold, being chickens, pecking and such. It's really the same with heat. Let them tell you what they need.
If you have a brooder that is too warm, and they can't get away from the heat, they will be lethargic. They will eat and drink less, chirp less, sleep more, etc. I never kept a brooder as warm as what is recommended here, because the chicks told me not to. I see so many posts about young chicks being lethargic, not eating much, etc., that I feel are just a reflection of too much heat, that the chicks cannot avoid in small brooders.
All the more reason to brood them outdoors. Sounds ideal, with the shade.
Did I say on this thread that the recommended heat levels were too high for both my batches? I had them down to 80 within a week. I was going by how they acted. Makes no sense to me to provide heat that they must clump together to get away from.... In any case, the 90+ is plenty of warmth. They might need a bit of protection from drafts for the first few days, even in that heat, of course. But 90 degrees is 90 degrees. You can brood them outdoors and provide no supplemental heat in 90 degree weather, or you can brood them indoors in A/C and run a heat lamp to keep them warm. Why anyone would choose the latter is beyond me.
They might have some trouble dealing with the high temps, even as babies, I agree. But they are going to be Florida chickens. Much better to deal with heat in their baby quarters than raise them in A/C and then expect them to adjust to 100 degree days.
Just watch them. They will tell you. If they pile under the heat lamp or light bulb, they are cold. If they gather away from it, they are hot. Not rocket science. And the cooler you keep them, the faster they will feather and grow.
Mama hens take them outdoors in freezing weather. True, they are available to warm them under their wings, but the chicks also spend several minutes at a time out in the cold, being chickens, pecking and such. It's really the same with heat. Let them tell you what they need.
If you have a brooder that is too warm, and they can't get away from the heat, they will be lethargic. They will eat and drink less, chirp less, sleep more, etc. I never kept a brooder as warm as what is recommended here, because the chicks told me not to. I see so many posts about young chicks being lethargic, not eating much, etc., that I feel are just a reflection of too much heat, that the chicks cannot avoid in small brooders.
