Is 98 degrees outside too hot for baby chicks?

[ChickenMamaSarah]

i have a variety of chicks in a brooder under a heat lamp in my house right now. In an attempt to avoid a divorce I got another smaller chicken coop with an attached run and put it in my large chicken run with the rest of my adult birds and two ducks. I have a Brahma, Americauna, and a bantam Cochin that are four weeks old and four silkie mix chicks that are almost two weeks old. I love in central Texas and it’s HOT here right now. Can I put them outside in the daytime in their own separate coop? They have shelter, shade, sun, everything. I just don’t want to cook them. I plan to bring them inside at night.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Yep that’s fine. As long as they have shade (that’s not in the hot coop) and plenty of cool water

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Oh, gawd..... I have that '98 Degrees' song in my head now, "Cuz bay-bay to you, all I am.... is The Invisble Man"

Anyway, chickens are a lot hardier than we give them credit for, they can withstand pretty extreme temperatures both cold and hot. In the summer, temperatures here can reach 110, I think that is when you start to worry a bit but I will admit, this is my first year with chickens so we'll see how it goes!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Outside of a chicken house fire I have never known of anyone who has lost a single chicken from heat related issues as long as his or her chickens had shade, bare ground, and water.

 

[Percheron chick]

No need to bring them in at night. Better for all to leave them out.

 

[Tesumph]

I feel like I go on this spiel every time hot weather comes up. But I’ll do it again.

Humidity is a HUGE factor when it comes to dangerous hot weather. 90f with very high humidity is much more dangerous than 110 with no humidity. You cannot properly sweat when it is humid, so you body cannot cool down and goes into heat stroke much faster. The shade also doesn’t help as much and breezes tend to be little to none. This is how “heat index” numbers are calculated, and why they are important.
In a desert climate, as long as you have shade and water you will be fine. Not necessarily so for humid climates. That may sound off topic but it’s important to take into consideration when you get heat advice from people that live in different kinds of heat.

That being said, I think they will probably be fine being left permanently outdoors. I’m getting chicks soon and do not plan on brooding inside at all. Just follow your gut and if they look very distressed, bring them in.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Lose the heat lamp and let them loose in your coop, with the flock. Outside.... I do it all the time. They will be fine. You might find some hen takes them as her own. It is natural for a flock of chickens to have chicks running through it.

 

[pittmanbirds]

I

I feel like I go on this spiel every time hot weather comes up. But I’ll do it again.

Humidity is a HUGE factor when it comes to dangerous hot weather. 90f with very high humidity is much more dangerous than 110 with no humidity. You cannot properly sweat when it is humid, so you body cannot cool down and goes into heat stroke much faster. The shade also doesn’t help as much and breezes tend to be little to none. This is how “heat index” numbers are calculated, and why they are important.
In a desert climate, as long as you have shade and water you will be fine. Not necessarily so for humid climates. That may sound off topic but it’s important to take into consideration when you get heat advice from people that live in different kinds of heat.

That being said, I think they will probably be fine being left permanently outdoors. I’m getting chicks soon and do not plan on brooding inside at all. Just follow your gut and if they look very distressed, bring them in.

I lost 4 hens yesterday to 95+ degrees plus extremely high humidity. Cool water and shade didn't help. I lost a 5 year old white leghorn, a 4 year old barred rock, 3 year old buff Orpington and a 2 year old golden laced Wyandotte. Its sad. Idk what i could've done.

 

[Tesumph]

I



I lost 4 hens yesterday to 95+ degrees plus extremely high humidity. Cool water and shade didn't help. I lost a 5 year old white leghorn, a 4 year old barred rock, 3 year old buff Orpington and a 2 year old golden laced Wyandotte. Its sad. Idk what i could've done.

Yep. I lost one on a high humidity day who decided to stay in the shaded barn all day. Found her dead behind a haybale. My new coop and run are going to be totally open air, they will have cover but the coop will just be a 3 sided shelter. I intend to give them fresh water and that’s it.

 

[townchicks]

A friend of mine also lost several chickens last summer, due to heat. They had plenty of shade and water, and it is not that humid here in Cal. Don't be cavalier about heat. The chicks are not acclimated, either. You might try putting them out in the morning, and bringing them inside for the worst heat, maybe put them back out for an hour or so when/if it cools off in the later part of the day. That would at least get them out of the house a bit, and may sooth tensions in the household.