Raising Chicks in the heat

[AnnaLK]

Hello everyone! So, if all goes well, we could be getting our chicks in about 2 weeks!

I've run into a problem, though.. I live in Texas, and we're averaging about 95 degrees F during the day here. As they get older, how do I keep them from getting too hot? Will they be fine without a heat lamp until they're ready to move outside? How do I keep them cool without getting them too cold? Also, this might be a stupid question, but will this affect them badly if it gets cold this winter, since they would never really have experienced the cold before?

And, with the temperatures, will keeping them in the garage be too hot? If so, would they be fine on the covered back porch with wire over the top of the tote to keep anything from getting to them?
Unfortunately, keeping them in the house is probably not an option..
Sorry for all the questions! Just trying to do things right!

 

[dpenning]

Mine are about a week old now and I've kept them on the covered back porch in a trough with chicken wire over the top. I did give them a mamma heating pad the first few nights as it was before we were hitting 90's but now I just have it in there but turned off so if they want to go under it to feel protected at night they can. You could probably just get away with a huddle box in these temps. They will do fine in the winter as they will acclimate to it gradually, just be sure they have a dry non-drafty place to roost.

 

[centrarchid]

Make so they can get away from heating source if they need to. Keep them out of direct sun. That includes the container they are housed in if it is small. Air flow is a must. A gentle flow promoted by a fan might be worth considering. Keep the brooder low to the ground so heat can rise away from brooder. Keep water present and fresh. Make so chicks can space themselves out and stay away from heat source.