Moving Chicks into Coop

[r-l-newell]

I have built a 6 foot wide by 12 foot long by 8 foot tall Coop for our 13 chickens (10 Rhode Island Red's and 3 Americanas) and they currently are in a swimming pool in our spare room. It has been about 100 degrees outside the last few days here in Central Texas and I want to move them out of the pool and into the coop. They are probably about three weeks old since I bought them about two weeks ago from the feed store. I have plenty of vents in the coop as well as I have windows on the North and South side of the coop that I can easily open up and close if I need to.

Are they ready to be moved into the coop?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[jus1jack]

They will do better imo if you acclimate them to the heat some. I noticed my chicks panting a lot when outside after being in the AC. Over a few days of in and out of the AC they adjusted to the heat just fine. Also a fan does help, some put frozen bottles of water in the coop with them... Good Luck

 

[r-l-newell]

Quote:
Do they lay the frozen water bottles in the floor among the shavings or specifically in the water so that it is chilled and it will quinch their thirst better than regular water?

 

[jus1jack]

I've seen some do both. As long as you are able to keep an eye on them they should be fine. Is your coop in the shade? That will help also.

 

[r-l-newell]

Quote:
Unfortunately we didn't have room for it and the run in the area where trees are on our property so it isn't in the shade. I know that there usually is a good breeze where it is sitting since it is in an open area not too far from our back fence where it is easily accessable by me and my wife and six and a half year old son.

I wish we could have put it in the shade but just didn't have any available even though we have five and a half acrtes of land.

 

[jus1jack]

Quote:
Unfortunately we didn't have room for it and the run in the area where trees are on our property so it isn't in the shade. I know that there usually is a good breeze where it is sitting since it is in an open area not too far from our back fence where it is easily accessable by me and my wife and six and a half year old son.

I wish we could have put it in the shade but just didn't have any available even though we have five and a half acrtes of land.

You may want to invest in some shade cloth to cover the run area with. They will need some shade. You can take them out for awhile and see how they do.

 

[SimplyForties]

I've tried that frozen bottle thing and the bottles seem to spook my chicks - lol. Even though they won't come near the bottles, hopefully they help to lower the temp a bit. I've been watering down the ground every morning too. I've got a tarp over their enclosure, make sure they have plenty of water and hope for the best. Panting isn't a sign of a chicken near death, just a hot chicken. They seem to hunker down during the hottest part of the day and become more active again later.

Texas summers can be brutal, can't they?

 

[r-l-newell]

Quote:
Yes they can. It had aready been 101 degrees at least twice this Summer and its only the middle of June. I would hate to see what its going to be like in July and August. I can only imagine what its like now and going to be in West Texas.

I think we are like nine inches short on rain here in the Austin area and our lakes are down about 18 to 21 feet total.

 

[SimplyForties]

Whew, I hear you - not a cloud in the sky either! Good luck keeping your chickens slightly less hot (notice I didn't say "cool", the impossible mission!).