temperature change (moving brooder location)

[clickchicks]

Quick question. I have been brooding my chicks indoors for their first 2 weeks to try and protect them from any Marek's exposure (they were vaccinated at hatchery and I have Marek's in my existing flock).

They are now closing in on 3 weeks and its time to move them out of the house. My inside temp stays at around 71F, but my garage doesn't have AC, so temps are variable. Here's what the temp range is going to be like for the upcoming week here:

+ about 10 degrees because the garage is warmer. Is that sudden change in temp going to be ok for them? They will of course have heat at night (using a brooder plate).

 

[springvalley123]

I once found out the hard way that young chicks aren't heat tolerant, can't handle any thing above the 95 degree mark. I did save a chick that was having trouble, by putting a 2-liter soda bottle half full of ice, next to it. That saved the baby's life until I put them all back inside the house the following morning. The tolerance to temperature is supposed to develop as the chick feathers--this happened at under a week of age. To play it safe, could you put an ice bottle or two at one end of their brooder? Then if you see any panting, maybe put that chick next to the ice bottle so they know how to cool off?

 

[clickchicks]

Starting tomorrow it doesn't look like temps will get past 90 even with the garage being warmer, but I can certainly put some frozen bottles in with them if it will help keep them comfortable and safe.