High of 92 in FL - worry about too warm, not cold 😊

[abenardini]

Northern Florida has high highs and weird low lows at this time of year. Tip for anyone brooding chicks in 90+ outside (cooler on the deck in the shade but still. I procured a separate smaller waterer and put iced electrolyte mix in addition to their room temperature water. It’s a hit!

Took the little fluffs out in the grass for less than 10 minutes and they were already a little too warm. Growing quickly!

Amendment to ensure folks don’t think the chicks are kept in the elements. They’re in a screened brooder on my fully shaded and screened in deck.

 

[3KillerBs]

Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation!

 

[seminolewind]

FLORIDA. Me 14 yrs with chickens. I was lucky in that I could keep every one in pens with all shade. With trees. My chickens did not have a coop but a pen but a dog house or rubbermade container in pens built like fort Knox.to l Used to freeze blocks of ice for each waterier to add in the afternoon. Sometimes when really hot in would let a hose run on.the ground and provide a small pond so they could stand in it. That worked really well. If someone was panting faster than normal is kept a bucket of sun-warmed water to dunk them in until saturated.

 

[seminolewind]

Chicks need shade

 

[abenardini]

Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation!

Agreed! The brooder has screen all the way around. The future coop has vents and windows that will have a fan

 

[abenardini]

Chicks need shade

Yep! I had them outside with me for 5 minutes. They currently are brooded on my screened deck in complete shade.

 

[abenardini]

FLORIDA. Me 14 yrs with chickens. I was lucky in that I could keep every one in pens with all shade. With trees. My chickens did not have a coop but a pen but a dog house or rubbermade container in pens built like fort Knox.to l Used to freeze blocks of ice for each waterier to add in the afternoon. Sometimes when really hot in would let a hose run on.the ground and provide a small pond so they could stand in it. That worked really well. If someone was panting faster than normal is kept a bucket of sun-warmed water to dunk them in until saturated.

I have weatherproof fans both in the coop and out of it. Getting a mister installed as well.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Plenty of shade, plenty of ventilation, plenty of sources of fresh clean water - cool if you can manage it. The occasional treat of chilled watermelon cucumber etc also is a big hit. Also, plenty of places they can dust bathe - the earth is the worlds largest heat sink. They will dig a trench to cooler earth, spread their bodies out, and press against that nice cool dirt (in the shade!) to make it thru.

So sayeth a fellow North Floridiot with some birds whose breeds were poorly suited to this environment. I'm in the process of fixing that.

 

[abenardini]

Plenty of shade, plenty of ventilation, plenty of sources of fresh clean water - cool if you can manage it. The occasional treat of chilled watermelon cucumber etc also is a big hit. Also, plenty of places they can dust bathe - the earth is the worlds largest heat sink. They will dig a trench to cooler earth, spread their bodies out, and press against that nice cool dirt (in the shade!) to make it thru.

So sayeth a fellow North Floridiot with some birds whose breeds were poorly suited to this environment. I'm in the process of fixing that.

I am also a crazy Floridian haha when it comes to chickens. Mine love having fans. I have waterproof fans in the coop and in the run (where they can choose to or not to use.)

My main reason for posting is there are so many new chick owners that are worrying about their chicks getting too cold and actually giving too much heat. Chickens do a lot better with cool than hot I’ve found.

 

[3KillerBs]

I am also a crazy Floridian haha when it comes to chickens. Mine love having fans. I have waterproof fans in the coop and in the run (where they can choose to or not to use.)

My main reason for posting is there are so many new chick owners that are worrying about their chicks getting too cold and actually giving too much heat. Chickens do a lot better with cool than hot I’ve found.

You might find this thread of mine from this spring amusing.

I'm used to trying to keep chicks from overheating and had to deal with truly cold temperatures: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ay-night-so-im-nervous-advice-wanted.1514590/