Hi! From the Florida panhandle

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Adb4090

Adb4090

Chirping
Jun 13, 2016
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Pace, Florida
Hi all! I'm Allison from Pace, Florida. Ive been using this site for the past few months to research for the 15 baby chicks I'm expecting tomorrow. I ordered them from McMurray Hatchery and am anxiously awaiting their arrival. I've been dreaming of raising chickens for years and now that I bought my first home I think I am ready.

Where I live is extremely hot and humid this time of year. I plan to keep the chickens in my garage until I am sure the coop and run are secure from the foxes. The garage stays between 95 during the day and 85 at night. Do you guys think using the heater at night only will be safe?

Thank you for all the help you have given already!!
 
Hi Allison; Welcome to BYC. I am raising my first flock also. As you can tell by the photo it is a little cooler here! When I got my chicks in May it was a little too cool in the brooder and they developed a little pasty butt. I put some additional heat in the brooder and the weather warmed up (above freezing overnight). I washed quite a few chicken bums for 3 or 4 days, then all was well. I used vaseline as a lubricant on the vent area, which I wasn't super happy with. Another member suggested using olive oil which I will try the next time. Good luck, I know you will have fun.
 
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It's according to how big your brooder is. That's pretty warm nights you are having there. I use a 100 W. bulb in a plastic tote for mine when they are young, but only for about a week. I'm thinking you won't have to go that big. They probably will want some heat at first. Try a 75 W. bulb. See how they are with that. You probably know this already...if they are huddled/standing close together right under the light, they are cold! If they are out and away from it..stretched out..they are a bit warm..if they are just laying outside the heat source..no panting..they are fine. You will be able to tell.
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Hello there and welcome to BYC!
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Congrats on the soon to be new chicks! First...when they are due to arrive, be there at the post office or have them call you the moment the chicks get there. When you get them home, the first thing you want to do is dip everybody's beak in the waterer as you are putting them in the brooder. Then place them down in front of the waterer. Do this with every chick and withhold food for about 15 to 20 mins. In your heat, they will be very dehydrated and eating before being hydrated is the number one cause of pasty butt, which can kill chicks. So get them hydrated before food.

Freshly hatched chicks can not regulate their temps in either direction, hot or cold. So it is very important you control their environmental temp to keep them alive. First week old chicks do best at 90 degrees, no hotter than 95. If you find the temp getting any higher, you will need to add some AC, you can mist them down and use a fan on them. Do not put ice in their water, chicks can't tolerate really cold water. As for the evenings, you will need to keep week old babies above 85 degrees. Any cooler and they will chill, causing all sorts of issues from more pasty butt to even death. I find it is so much easier to raise chicks in an area that has a constant temperature, no matter where that is. Even some outdoor building that remains relatively the same temp all the time. Chicks are very susceptable to drafts and over heating because they can't regulate their internal temps on their own. As they age, their bodies learn to use their internal thermostats. But at this age, they can't.

Have you stopped by our learning center yet? Lots of good articles on all the aspects of keeping chickens including a section on raising baby chicks... https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center

Enjoy those new babies!! And if you do have any questions about them, feel free to ask.

Welcome to our flock! :)
 
Welcome to BYC
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Glad you joined us! At 85F overnight, I wouldn't supply additional after the first week. I have brooded new chicks at around 85F and they were fine at that. Enjoy your flock!
 
agree with Sumi, the temps. you are having now - seem warm enough. You wouldn't want to overheat them. Do make sure they have enough clean water and know where to find it.
 
Congratulations on your new flock. It doesn't appear anybody else from the Deep South has answered you yet. I grew up in Ft. Walton so I understand your area and now live in south Louisiana. The heat index was still 100 at 8pm last night.
You are going to find it difficult to keep the brooder temp exact because it is already going to be so warm in the garage. Keep an eye on the thermometer during the evening and make sure they don't overheat. I leaned a small piece of 1/4" plywood against one of the walls so the chicks could get in the shade, away from the heat lamp, when they got too hot. Also my brooder was about 4' long and they had room to back off when they needed to. They probably won't need a heat lamp at all between mid morning and night fall. In a couple weeks or less you will be able to take the lamp out completely.
By July you will have to find some way to cool them off, rather than keep them warm. There is great advice in the forum section on that. No one else has mentioned the electrolyte drink supplement yet, so I will. My girls love their "chicken Gatorade" and go through a few gallons a week. It Is supposed to help with heat stress.
 
The chicks arrived first thing this morning! All 15 ladies were chirping away. I dipped their beaks into the water with electrolytes then 15 minutes later gave them the food. It was seconds before they were running all over the feeder and flicking starter everywhere! It was one of the cutest scenes I've ever saw. I am sure there will be many of these moments to come! Thanks for the advice you guys. I have the heater going in the corner of the brooder, they all seemed fine so I tested turning it off. They huddled together, I turned it back on. The garage was about 83 this morning because of some rain.

I was able to tell them apart too. 2 light brahmas with their feathered feet. One is the loudest chirper in the bunch. 2 Buff cochins, so fluffy. 2 Pearl white leghorns, 3 barred rocks with the white spots on their heads, 3 rhode island reds, one likes to crowd surf and keeps dive bombing the huddles, haha. Then 3 black austrolorps.

I had some large stones sitting around the house as decoration, so I threw them in the brooder. They were already pushing each other around to get on them!
 

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