Hello: Wanted to keep my 5 week old chicks outside in their coop/run, and they were fine for about an hour...then the panting from all of them. Now I did this last week, and they panted as soon as they were ouside, brought them in and one died. I live in Orlando, and its not that hot (80 or so)....can I leave them ouside without them having the same fate as their mate? Thanks
I've only seen chickens pant when they are hot. And, I've seen them pant when they had vitamins mixed at the wrong ratio -- too strong.
Quote:80 or so is HOT for a bird out in the sun - put your long pants on and a jacket over your shirt - now go stand in your chicken run and let me know how cool temperature wise you are. Remember, chicks or chickens cannot remove their clothing to cool down. Chicks are not "smart enough" at this age to understand that they CAN go into the coop for shade. Also, if your coop is too dark, the birds will not want to go into it. With young chicks, you will need to provide lots of shady areas until they learn where they can go. This can be as easy as a 4 foot x 4 foot piece of plywood up on buckets (I have LOTS around our place). Or a tarp across the top of your run. Also you will need to place water dishes in a few locations around the run - next to shade areas are good. Chicks and even chickens once they start getting hot - do not think "hey, I can walk into the coop and get a drink" they just do not. Lots of water dishes - placed near where they gather, so they will stay hydrated. Dehydration and heat is a quick killer. Sorry you had one pass.
I'm not even in Florida, but my dark-feathered chickens stay in the shade to keep from overheating. They circle the coop to always be on the shady side, even when it is only 70 degrees. Florida is also very humid, which cuts down on the oxygen available in the heated air. Humidity is hard on poultry.
My 4 week olds have been in my very breezy coop since day one, at first with a heat lamp at night. All my chickens have been panting (and slightly raising their wings, also a cooling mechanism) on warm days for several weeks now. They avoid sunlight except early morning and late afternoon, and stay in the shade. And it's about time to put the box fan back in, which I left running all summer last year, although the coop has large areas on two sides that are hardware cloth, and there is a bit of a wind tunnel in there as it catches the prevailing wind. As mentioned, they will need shade and breeze to survive the heat. And of course they must never run out of water. Your chicks will be fine outdoors, I would think, if they have shade and breeze. I have read that 100 degrees is their limit, that they can die from the heat above this.
If they can die at 100 degrees then mine are done for. I live in central Tx. and in the summer we get up to 106. It's been 95 here so far and they all stay under the big shade tree with plenty of water. They do pant and I keep an I on them. What will I do when it gets above 100? Will they be OK with those temps under the tree in the shade? I plan on getting one of those mister fan thing for their run. They free-range all day when I am home. Oh, and it is humid too.
