Temperature Control

[familyofellchicks]

Hi everyone,

Please help me. My Wife and I got eight day old chicks last week. Just in time for this heat wave in Northern California.

Their brooder is out in the garage with me as I work from home now because of Covid. I know the chicks need warmer temperatures and today it got so hot in the garage they actually started panting. I turned off the heat source for them which helped. I figure it's not needed because it was already 95ish degrees in the garage. I have an AC unit out here but in the peak afternoon heat it doesn't really help.

I am not super concerned about them right now, but I know chicks don't need temps as hot later in life. What can I do to help them stay cool both now and later. Anyone in the Northern Central Valley of California knows how hot is right now and will continue to be. Thank you all so much in advance..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Get them out of the brooder early. You can put them outside during the day in a shaded safe area, and put them in the brooder at night. They more than likely can stay out after 2-4 weeks. What does your coop look like? Hopefully large and airy? They will need good ventilation at high temperatures.

 

[familyofellchicks]

Get them out of the brooder early. You can put them outside during the day in a shaded safe area, and put them in the brooder at night. They more than likely can stay out after 2-4 weeks. What does your coop look like? Hopefully large and airy? They will need good ventilation at high temperatures.

Our coop isn't finished yet. We will be using a large snap lock chicken coop with a large run around it. Due to demand the shipping was delayed. I plan to modify it with extra exhaust holes around the top of the walls. The area it will be in is very shaded all day.

I thought birds needed to be feathered out prior to being moved outside.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Our coop isn't finished yet. We will be using a large snap lock chicken coop with a large run around it. Due to demand the shipping was delayed. I plan to modify it with extra exhaust holes around the top of the walls. The area it will be in is very shaded all day.

I thought birds needed to be feathered out prior to being moved outside.

It takes chicks about 2 weeks until they can start to regulate their own body temperature better. Feathers are good, but not necessary to be moved outside. As long as it's warm enough out they can go out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought birds needed to be feathered out prior to being moved outside.

Mostly feathered out. Example: this chick is just past 3 weeks and is close to ready for me to pull the heat with temps down to high 40s/low 50s (though I ended up leaving the heat on for two extra days due to heavy rains in forecast).

 

[familyofellchicks]

Mostly feathered out. Example: this chick is just past 3 weeks and is close to ready for me to pull the heat with temps down to high 40s/low 50s (though I ended up leaving the heat on for two extra days due to heavy rains in forecast).

View attachment 2207994

So if I understand then feathers assist with body temp if weather is hot or cold. A bird that's completely feathered out wouldn't have any down visible right?

 

[rosemarythyme]

So if I understand then feathers assist with body temp if weather is hot or cold. A bird that's completely feathered out wouldn't have any down visible right?

Correct on both. Chicks won't be fully feathered until around 7 weeks or so, which is well past when they can be moved out.

 

[familyofellchicks]

These are my girls this afternoon in what is the heat of the day. They can't be too hot considering some are still close to one another right???

 

[thepick4uchicks]

I am jumping in here since you are waiting on a response from someone. I thought I Might help. Your chicks are not considered close together here in the sense that they are too cool or in your case they are probably too hot here. They are far away from one another. When young chicks need heat they will all pile together in one big clump for warmth. You can’t even tell where one of their heads or tail feathers are from another when they do that. So yours appear to be either too warm possibly or just busy exploring but at their young age I tend to lean towards the too warm tact.
You can freeze a water bottle or ice pack and lay it in the brooder with them to lay by but you need to cover it with a towel that is on the thin side so that they don’t get too cold from it or exposure from it also but it will help cool them down that way. Be sure they are drinking. Also you can get Chick Electrolyte water at the feed stores or pet stores or TSC stores. That is Tractor Supply Company. Your local feed or farm and ranch supply store should have it. You can mix a pouch of it in one gallon of water every 24 hours and give it to them as long as you need to with them adjusting to the outside temps and or seeming at risk of dehydration. If ever in doubt you need to bring them inside or into a shadier spot. That spot looks like full sun to me.
Hope this helps.

 

[familyofellchicks]

I am jumping in here since you are waiting on a response from someone. I thought I Might help. Your chicks are not considered close together here in the sense that they are too cool or in your case they are probably too hot here. They are far away from one another. When young chicks need heat they will all pile together in one big clump for warmth. You can’t even tell where one of their heads or tail feathers are from another when they do that. So yours appear to be either too warm possibly or just busy exploring but at their young age I tend to lean towards the too warm tact.
You can freeze a water bottle or ice pack and lay it in the brooder with them to lay by but you need to cover it with a towel that is on the thin side so that they don’t get too cold from it or exposure from it also but it will help cool them down that way. Be sure they are drinking. Also you can get Chick Electrolyte water at the feed stores or pet stores or TSC stores. That is Tractor Supply Company. Your local feed or farm and ranch supply store should have it. You can mix a pouch of it in one gallon of water every 24 hours and give it to them as long as you need to with them adjusting to the outside temps and or seeming at risk of dehydration. If ever in doubt you need to bring them inside or into a shadier spot. That spot looks like full sun to me.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the reply. That spot is actually in the garage. This week temps outside are 105°f plus. The garage has been around 95-100°f. The oldest chicks are not even a week old so I can't really move them yet, not to mention our coop isn't ready. They have all been drinking well. I have two water stations one on both sides of the brooder so they don't have to go far.

I have plenty of water bottles so I think I will freeze some of those. Do you think they are getting too hot? They haven't been really panting or spreading their wings out today, at least compared to yesterday.