Heat lamp in summer?

[Johntodd]

I have 16 day-olds that will arrive July 16th. Trying to avoid a heat lamp situation.
I need a backup plan in case the broody hens reject them.

Temps here are in the mid 90s during the day and upper 70s at night.

Will I need a heat lamp for them outdoors? They will have a nicely-enclosed space that I can locate in direct sunlight if need be, but what about night?

Thanks!
-John

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many broody hens do you have? What breeds compared to the chicks? I'm thinking size. I had a hen raise 15 chicks one time, another raised 16. Both in summer weather like this. As long as it is not bantam hens and full-sized fowl chicks my plan B would be to give them all to the hen that accepts them. It is still a good idea to have a plan C.

I don't know if they will need heat at all or not. 16 is a lot when they start crowding together and generating heat. If they do need heat it will not be for long. With electricity out there you can provide a arm spot with a heat or incandescent lamp (60 watt should be plenty), a heating pad, a heat plate, emitters, different things. But a couple of other thoughts.

Here are a couple of threads on woolly hens. This could be perfect for you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...possibly-no-supplemental-heat-at-all.1126460/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-wool-hen-creating-one-today.1133855/page-8

I don't have any links to this but maybe a hover could work. Warm air rises. If you make a shallow box and invert it so the open side is down and leave just enough room for the chicks to get under the edge their body heat will get trapped and keep them warm.

 

[RollTideChicken]

I have <week old chicks brooding in my garage right now and my area has that exact temp range. In the garage it doesn't get below 85 and no higher than 95 so I've been leaving my lamp off. If it were to get down to 70 I'd turn it on.

 

[Blooie]

How about trying Mama Heating Pad? So many of us using it now, and it works fantastic! It's as close to duplicating a broody as we can get - soft, dark underneath, they regulate their heat requirements, they sleep all night through because they understand natural day/night cycles from the start, and they are usually off all heat here - raised outdoors in the run with temps still in the twenties - by 3 to 4 weeks old, their choice. Here is a video of mine using it....notice that in the beginning some are in the corner peeping loudly, trying to get away from me. I was crouched and between them and their "mom". Then I stood up, shifted position slightly, and they made a beeline for MHP, instantly quieting down as soon as they ducked under. Oh, and the temp was a balmy (for us) 38 degrees, up significantly from their first day or so out there. As warm as it is right now yours sure wouldn't need it for long, and you can use the heating pad on yourself on the "off season". I've been using the same one for 8 batches of chicks.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update