Moving chickens to coop for first time and temps are in the 100's.

[Elf2004]

I have hens that are about 6 weeks and fully feathered. For the last couple weeks they have been indoors in the AC.
I can't keep them locked in the coop for the first few days bc I would probably cook them.
I don't know how to do this and I'm afraid the heat will be too much. Help!!! I need direction!

We put ours out in the run during the day at first. I didn’t want to lock mine in the coop for days so we just put them in one by one at night the first night. The second night 10 went in by themselves and other four I had to put in myself. The next night I only had to put 2 in myself and now they all go in at bedtime on their own.

 

[Patricek]

I would definitely recommend acclimatizing them to higher temps indoors first. 100 degree temps are hard on all chickens. If you can, is there a place you can put them with the AC blocked off, to get to maybe 90 degrees for a few days? Is your run covered with lots of deep shade? If not do that first. Generally, locking them in the coop is the way to go, but with chickens, you have to be flexible. In your case, you should put them out with access to the coop, but not locked in. You will have to then go out and place them in the coop at night. They will get the idea to go in after a few days to maybe weeks of doing that. When you do put them outside, watch them carefully for signs of overheating. Panting is normal in those temps, as is holding the wings slightly away from the body. They should still be eating, drinking, and moving about normally. If not, bring them back inside. Ways to cool them off in the run include large blocks of ice in a pan of water, frozen water bottles you for that info! It's very helpful.

I would definitely recommend acclimatizing them to higher temps indoors first. 100 degree temps are hard on all chickens. If you can, is there a place you can put them with the AC blocked off, to get to maybe 90 degrees for a few days? Is your run covered with lots of deep shade? If not do that first. Generally, locking them in the coop is the way to go, but with chickens, you have to be flexible. In your case, you should put them out with access to the coop, but not locked in. You will have to then go out and place them in the coop at night. They will get the idea to go in after a few days to maybe weeks of doing that. When you do put them outside, watch them carefully for signs of overheating. Panting is normal in those temps, as is holding the wings slightly away from the body. They should still be eating, drinking, and moving about normally. If not, bring them back inside. Ways to cool them off in the run include large blocks of ice in a pan of water, frozen water bottles to hang around, fans, and my personal favorite, misters.

I would definitely recommend acclimatizing them to higher temps indoors first. 100 degree temps are hard on all chickens. If you can, is there a place you can put them with the AC blocked off, to get to maybe 90 degrees for a few days? Is your run covered with lots of deep shade? If not do that first. Generally, locking them in the coop is the way to go, but with chickens, you have to be flexible. In your case, you should put them out with access to the coop, but not locked in. You will have to then go out and place them in the coop at night. They will get the idea to go in after a few days to maybe weeks of doing that. When you do put them outside, watch them carefully for signs of overheating. Panting is normal in those temps, as is holding the wings slightly away from the body. They should still be eating, drinking, and moving about normally. If not, bring them back inside. Ways to cool them off in the run include large blocks of ice in a pan of water, frozen water bottles to hang around, fans, and my personal favorite, misters.

Thank you! This is very helpful.

 

[FredHill]

I like this article okay.

https://farmhouseguide.com/best-chicken-breeds-for-hot-climates/

I would not get dominiques if I was in a hot weather climate, though. Any breed that they say does well in cold weather will not do well in a hot climate like CA or FL, IMO.

Also, the McMurray Hatchery catalog does a great job of showing heat tolerant breeds that they carry. You can view it at their website.

Thanks so much! I'll look at the article.

 

[Patricek]

Their coop will be finished today. Yes, I built it with a lot of ventilation and yes they have a run. I read many articles that said you should lock them in the coop for the first few days to get acclimated. I'm just worried about the drastic change in temp even if I don't lock them in. Do I have to harden them off like seedlings?

 

[FredHill]

Relatedly, I live in central coastal Fla. Temps are running in the mid 70°s to high 80°s. Humidity is in the mid 60%s to mid 80%s. (Can't wait for summer, geez.) I plan to get hatchlings soon and put them in a brooder box inside garage, which will stay cooler, but of course also provide heat.
Is there a time by which it wouldn't be feasible to get hatchlings and eventually move them to an outside coop and run? Because it's only going to get hotter and more humid as the weeks go by. Can you suggest heat tolerant breeds? Thank you!