moving chicks outside

[poppachick]

We tired to move our 3 wk old chicks outside from air-conditioned laundry room (their brooder temp in the 80 range) to hot humid 90+ outside brooder. They are quickly outgrowing their inside brooder. They were stunned! We watched them pant for about an hour before we moved them back into the laundry room. They would not investigate the water or the feed. How do we introduce them to hot humid Ar. weather from air-cnditioned laundry room?

 

[chicmom]

I would say to introduce them in the morning, when it's a bit cooler, and just make sure they have lots of shade and plenty of cool water to drink.

 

[10_is_enough]

I don't know a darn thing about chickens, but we brought ours outside as well the other day, they are 6 weeks old, and thought the sun would be nice for them, but they panted and layed down as well. We moved them to an area under the apple trees and they love it. They find bugs and do what chickens do I guess. We have moved their main cage into the garage while the coop is being built and they are doing fine out there as well at night. I keep them under the apple trees for about 6 hours during the day (our black lab, Daisy, is mother hen...she comes to get me if one jumps out) and then we put them back into the garage. It's been 80 and sunny here, but not humid...and we keep their water out there with them as well.

 

[Mary631]

I have 6 week old Aracaunas and I put them outside each morning. The cage is in the shade with lots of cool water and feed. They do seem to like being outside. I bring them in at night, but they are quickly outgrowing their inside pen. They are too young to be out all night yet so Ill have to come up with an idea.

 

[youngjedi32002]

I have 1 week old chicks and I put them in a cage on the back deck every day! It is 86 degrees here today so I figured it is just about as good as sitting under the brooder lamp but the fresh air is better! (And sitting in the sun for 5 min, you FEEL like you are under a brooder lamp!!!) The deck has trees over it so there are patches of sun and shade in the cage I have out there. I just think it is better for them to be in their natural habitat if they can be! I got my last chicks in February when it was freeeeeezing here and felt bad for them having to be caged up in a dark house! These chicks seem to be very happy, jumping about, very active! Even the one with the bag leg is popping all about!!!