"Panting" Chickens

[Robbo]

Hello,

Just adopted chicks tonight. They are a little over 2 weeks old and most of their raggied feathers have come in. I put them in the brooder with the lamp and they all ran under it like they were cold. They have been under it all night sleeping snuggled so close together. They aren't trying to get away from the heat but I don't want to lower it down either to make it hotter as they are panting... or acting like they are... But they wont move to the cooler side...? Should I take the heat off of them more tonight? They keep sleeping... they only wake up and start panting when I happen to wake them up and then they also start chirping pretty loud. So are they just scared and need to settle in?

I currently do not have a thermometer but will go get one tomorrow...

 

[mcurry]

I think as long as you have a place for them to withdrawal from the heat it's ok. They won!t stay huddled under the light if it's too hot. Mine pant when I stsrtle them during sleep too. If they get too hot you should see them scamper to the edge of brooder away from lamp. Hope that helps ease your mind.

 

[saellis]

If they're staying under the light and there are cooler spots in the brooder that they can move to, then they are probably comfortable in their warm spot. At first I thought my chicks were panting but I think chickens just breathe a larger volume of air than other animals of the same size. Probably why ventilation is so important in a coop. Definitely get a good thermometer so you can read a few areas in the brooder in addition to under the light at the chicks' height.

 

[mcurry]

My girls chirped their heads off the first night as well & it made me paranoid something was wrong. They settled in during next day & I'm learning to decipher those chirps. Lol I think you're doing a good job with them. I can now say shhh to them softly & they usually just stop chirping & look up at the crazy lady.

 

[Robbo]

Thanks everyone. I can't wait until 8am when I can head to the store. I think if anything now they are chilled a bit still. I really moved the heating lamp around just to see what they'd do since I placed it on them to begin with. I switched it sides so the then cool area was now the hot area, ect - and they followed it to the opposite side to sit right under it again.

Every time I peek in on them they are now being pretty active and curious and chirp at me when I walk by so I plop my hand in to say hello.

 

[Robbo]

I think I have worked it all out. The one I first brought them home in was a bit smaller because I thought my chicks would be younger. So I did let them stay in that over night though until I could get my bigger tub out of storage. Well once I did that and used pine shavings and placed them in it with a lot more room they aren't huddled anymore or doing the panting. So I have a feeling they might have been hot but couldn't' get away from the heat fully. Now they are so active and spread out all over and kicking the bedding around looking for yummies, ect.

 

[HollyE]

Good to know. Mine were panting I noticed for the first time yesterday but we had moved them to a different brooder so I think they were nervous. They stopped so it must be a nervous thing.