Opinion Needed - Chicks inside or out?!

[kssoaper]

My husband and I are going round and round on this..... 15 RIR chicks in brooder in garage. They will be 30 days old on the 23rd. He thinks they should stay in the garage where we can keep the temp about 10 degrees cooler than the outside temps rather than move them to their coop where the run has hardly any shade......We are coming up on a 5 day period of predicted 108 degree heat starting Monday....

I say get them to the coop Sat - leave them confined in there until Monday a.m. let them out in the run and provide some shade/misting - etc.......

I'd appreciate any educated opinions on this as we are new to the chicken way of life - - - I'm willing to go 'his way' if people *who know* recommend it )

Thanks in advance,
Judy
Kansas

 

[Bunnylady]

This advice comes from someone who recently lost 4 birds that were about 4 months old, in full shade, after having been outside for a few weeks when the temps were in the upper 90's - why chance it? If the birds aren't killing each other and you can reasonably keep up with their needs in the garage, I'd leave them a bit longer.

 

[froggy848]

Hi,this is froggy848,
In my opinion,getting your chickens out in their run is the best plan.If you are expecting warm weather,it's freezing here at the moment,then just provide your hens with plenty of cool,clean water and shade half their run area.Hens love basking in the sun but also need to be able to get cover.At 30 days you should have already been getting them used to being out on grass for a few hours a day so they shouldn't have any problems being left out.Keeping them in the garage monday when you expect heat could be bad because they could get too warm and dehydrate.Even if a hen has plenty of water there's no law that say's they still can't get dehydrated.Your hen's will appreciate the sun and grass and if there's a dust bath left in their run consisting of clay,grit and maybe some ashes they'll be thrilled.A cat litter tray is an ideal dust bath as it's easily removed and can be cleaned out regularly.I've keept hen's just about 8 years and currently have some chicks in my flock.Trust me,let them out and you'll see how happy and shiny they'll be!

Regards
Froggy848
Ireland

 

[kssoaper]

Ugghhh....I guess I was hoping to hear 'move 'em out' ~ I feel quilty about them not having sunlight and fresh air; even though we haven't had fresh air in about a month (more like 'oven air'!) They aren't bothering each other at this point..... thanks for the advice!

**Froggy848 - - thanks for your thoughts.....I need a tie breaker!

 

[Stephanie739]

I would move them out, and provide plenty of shade, cool water, and misting. You can also spray the ground down with the hose.

 

[CAjerseychick]

Too risky. Its only one more weekend in the garage... Chicks need to be monitored during transitions, and with no one home, theres just too many variables--- theres another post on here about a raccoon that got all 25 of their chicks and they have no visible holes/ entryways into the Coop....Thats my vote....

Judy, I think I got your post confused with the person who is going to the hospital to have a baby and wants to know what to do while they are away-- if you guys will be around to monitor the transition (peek in now and then) than OK. I just felt with the heat coming on not to do this while no-one is home to check the temp of the coop, mist the grounds etc....

 

[kssoaper]

Oh, we will be home to check on them - that's not a problem.....just concerned about the extreme heat...they will be one month old on the 23rd - - if we waited for the predicted heat to pass they could be outside the end of the month - and that's if the heat passes. I think it's supposed to be like this into August.

 

[the-inventor]

How big is the space in the garage

 

[kssoaper]

About 21 sq. feet.........

 

[froggy848]

If your going to have someone home to monitor your chicks theirs no real harm in say putting them out for an hour or so and see how they react to the heat,close observation will tell you if their uncomfortable or not.If you have a gazebo or something put them under that.The vital is water.You sound like an intelligent,caring hen owner.Trust your instincts with your hens,at the end of the day you and your husband have to be happy too with your hens.My advice is from my experience,everyone will have different advice and have had different experience's with their birds,like I posted mine seem to love the heat and sun but also it's really not hot here in Ireland Two days ago my hen,Indy was basking in the sun with her new three week old today chicks,Bambam and Tinky.They loved it but then my two year old pekin Hugo decided it was too sunny and came into the kitchen to drink out of my dog's dishes even tough he has drinkers.Their all different.