Need Advice for Raising Chicks in Hot, Dry Climate

[haydeneleanor]

I live in southeastern NM and I currently have four chicks that are about three weeks old. We bought them when they were approximately one week old. Since temperatures here are ranging from 90-105 during the day we normally have the AC on in our house. Therefore, we decided to keep our chick brooder in our detached garage to keep them warm, but out of direct sunlight and away from predators. However, the thermometer in our garage has been recording similar (90-105 degree) temperatures in the garage. The temperature at night has been dropping to about 65-75 outside. Since the chicks are in the garage they stay slightly warmer than the cool outside temperature, but we have still been providing them with a heat lamp just in case. Now that the chicks are getting older I have a few questions/concerns and need some help from others that have raised chickens in similar situations:

1. Is it okay to keep them in the garage in temperatures of 90-105 degrees? We only keep the heat lamp on at night since it is so hot during the day. We always make sure they have water, food, and also offer electrolytes in a separate water.
2. We are in the process of getting a coop ready for the chicks. How soon can we put them outside in their coop in this heat?
3. Do I need to continue leaving the lamp on at night? It seems like the garage temperature is around 75-85 degrees at night.

I am really concerned about overheating my little chicks rather than them getting too cold. Please help me figure out the best way to raise them comfortably!

 

[zhutson789]

I live in southeastern NM and I currently have four chicks that are about three weeks old. We bought them when they were approximately one week old. Since temperatures here are ranging from 90-105 during the day we normally have the AC on in our house. Therefore, we decided to keep our chick brooder in our detached garage to keep them warm, but out of direct sunlight and away from predators. However, the thermometer in our garage has been recording similar (90-105 degree) temperatures in the garage. The temperature at night has been dropping to about 65-75 outside. Since the chicks are in the garage they stay slightly warmer than the cool outside temperature, but we have still been providing them with a heat lamp just in case. Now that the chicks are getting older I have a few questions/concerns and need some help from others that have raised chickens in similar situations:

1. Is it okay to keep them in the garage in temperatures of 90-105 degrees? We only keep the heat lamp on at night since it is so hot during the day. We always make sure they have water, food, and also offer electrolytes in a separate water.
2. We are in the process of getting a coop ready for the chicks. How soon can we put them outside in their coop in this heat?
3. Do I need to continue leaving the lamp on at night? It seems like the garage temperature is around 75-85 degrees at night.

I am really concerned about overheating my little chicks rather than them getting too cold. Please help me figure out the best way to raise them comfortably!

I would leave the light on at night for another week or so. As long as they are fully feathered then they will be good. We like to keep a mister on them in the extreme heat. As long as they have water and shade then they should be good in the garage. I would continue to check on them throughout the day just to make sure they’re good.

 

[RebelChief]

I live in southeastern NM and I currently have four chicks that are about three weeks old. We bought them when they were approximately one week old. Since temperatures here are ranging from 90-105 during the day we normally have the AC on in our house. Therefore, we decided to keep our chick brooder in our detached garage to keep them warm, but out of direct sunlight and away from predators. However, the thermometer in our garage has been recording similar (90-105 degree) temperatures in the garage. The temperature at night has been dropping to about 65-75 outside. Since the chicks are in the garage they stay slightly warmer than the cool outside temperature, but we have still been providing them with a heat lamp just in case. Now that the chicks are getting older I have a few questions/concerns and need some help from others that have raised chickens in similar situations:

1. Is it okay to keep them in the garage in temperatures of 90-105 degrees? We only keep the heat lamp on at night since it is so hot during the day. We always make sure they have water, food, and also offer electrolytes in a separate water.
2. We are in the process of getting a coop ready for the chicks. How soon can we put them outside in their coop in this heat?
3. Do I need to continue leaving the lamp on at night? It seems like the garage temperature is around 75-85 degrees at night.

I am really concerned about overheating my little chicks rather than them getting too cold. Please help me figure out the best way to raise them comfortably!

As they start to feather you don't have to worry so much about heat. With my first set I reduced the heat each week by raising the heat plate. You'll know if they are warm enough by how they behave. For instance, I put mine straight in the run in their brooder and they are 3 days old. I put the heat plate in there and I just went out to check on them...they were asleep near the plate but not under it. Once they are feathered they will be fine without the heat.

 

[haydeneleanor]

Thank you for the advice! They are still getting their feathers now, but not quite fully feathered yet. I will make sure to keep the lamp on until then! When would you suggest allowing them to spend the day in their coop? I was thinking about putting them in there a little bit each day, and keeping them in the garage at night still. Would you wait until they are closer to six weeks to start that?

 

[haydeneleanor]

As they start to feather you don't have to worry so much about heat. With my first set I reduced the heat each week by raising the heat plate. You'll know if they are warm enough by how they behave. For instance, I put mine straight in the run in their brooder and they are 3 days old. I put the heat plate in there and I just went out to check on them...they were asleep near the plate but not under it. Once they are feathered they will be fine without the heat.

I don't hardly ever see them directly under the light. I keep half of the brooder out of the light by covering half of it lightly with a towel. I always find them sleeping on the shaded side of the brooder.

 

[zhutson789]

Thank you for the advice! They are still getting their feathers now, but not quite fully feathered yet. I will make sure to keep the lamp on until then! When would you suggest allowing them to spend the day in their coop? I was thinking about putting them in there a little bit each day, and keeping them in the garage at night still. Would you wait until they are closer to six weeks to start that?

I would say probably at least another week to a week and a half to finish getting their feathers. We kept our out the big girl box till about 9 weeks even though it was a little late probably.

 

[RebelChief]

I moved mine to the coop at 4 or 5 weeks because the brooder I had wasn't working...they were starting to try to fly out. I have a full size door into the coop with a small automatic door built into that. While they were still small I just tied the big door open so they could come and go as they pleased and then at night I went out and closed them in. I moved the heat plate into the coop and set it up so they had some heat avail if they needed/wanted it. I am scared of heat lamps so I preferred the heat pad. My first set of chicks was in the winter so it was a bit different. I will leave it out there for a few weeks just to be on the safe side. I just went to check on them and they were asleep next to it, not under it.

 

[NatJ]

It helps if you have a really long brooder: 3-4 feet or longer.

That way you can have the heat lamp all the way at one end, and the chicks can get entirely away from it. So no overheated chicks, plus easier to tell if they need the lamp or not.

 

[Davethebirdman]

I live in southeastern NM and I currently have four chicks that are about three weeks old. We bought them when they were approximately one week old. Since temperatures here are ranging from 90-105 during the day we normally have the AC on in our house. Therefore, we decided to keep our chick brooder in our detached garage to keep them warm, but out of direct sunlight and away from predators. However, the thermometer in our garage has been recording similar (90-105 degree) temperatures in the garage. The temperature at night has been dropping to about 65-75 outside. Since the chicks are in the garage they stay slightly warmer than the cool outside temperature, but we have still been providing them with a heat lamp just in case. Now that the chicks are getting older I have a few questions/concerns and need some help from others that have raised chickens in similar situations:

1. Is it okay to keep them in the garage in temperatures of 90-105 degrees? We only keep the heat lamp on at night since it is so hot during the day. We always make sure they have water, food, and also offer electrolytes in a separate water.
2. We are in the process of getting a coop ready for the chicks. How soon can we put them outside in their coop in this heat?
3. Do I need to continue leaving the lamp on at night? It seems like the garage temperature is around 75-85 degrees at night.

I am really concerned about overheating my little chicks rather than them getting too cold. Please help me figure out the best way to raise them comfortably!

The first mistake you made is very simple in that there are certain breeds of chickens that are a bit more heat tolerant than others. Select those breeds. Since you may not have, they need serious shade in the desert, plenty of water and even bring them indoors during heatwaves. I dont know much about the desert as I am way north along the coast, but that is obviously a special environment that needs specific considerations a place like New Mexico.