Temperature Control

[Spikeandbean]

The cold water bottle idea is a good one - this heat is something awful. I'm in the North State too, and my chicks just arrived today (was expecting some losses, but so far so good). I'm brooding mine in the house for a while, and then I'll start acclimating them to the heat. I think you're doing exactly the right thing by offering a spot to stay warm and a spot to stay cool. Lots of fresh water and shade, and hopefully they'll stay comfortable! At least next week is only 90s... Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

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???

Huddling often has nothing to do with temperatures and everything to do with comfort - chicks feel more secure huddled against their flockmates, and will do it regardless if they're warm or cold.

 

[familyofellchicks]

The cold water bottle idea is a good one - this heat is something awful. I'm in the North State too, and my chicks just arrived today (was expecting some losses, but so far so good). I'm brooding mine in the house for a while, and then I'll start acclimating them to the heat. I think you're doing exactly the right thing by offering a spot to stay warm and a spot to stay cool. Lots of fresh water and shade, and hopefully they'll stay comfortable! At least next week is only 90s... Good luck!

Where about in the North State? We're a half hour West of Chico. I also came up with an idea today that seemed to help. Some impromptu duct work for the portable ac unit.

 

[Spikeandbean]

Where about in the North State? We're a half hour West of Chico. I also came up with an idea today that seemed to help. Some impromptu duct work for the portable ac unit.

Lol, I like your duct work! We're in Chico, so practically neighbors.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

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.

Okay. If you have another drinking station not pictured that helps for sure. I’m sort of keen on keeping them in under the shade if it’s cooler in your garage than outside temps for sure. A picture is worth a thousand words sometimes but not always because it doesn’t always depict things exactly as they are. So I was just guessing from what it appeared. I thinking keeping them cooler with the ice bottles to lay by if they will and maybe a fan blowing on them if you don’t have Air conditioning in your garage is a good idea if you have one possibly. These are just some ideas for you that people have given me for mine to use when I put mine outside. I live in the Deep Southeast in Mississippi where it is very hot and humid reaching the same daytime temps often as your place but not as often but having the same heat indexes all the time in the summer averaging around 100-105 every day in July and August even into Sept sometimes. So I wish you the very best of luck with your chicks. They are hearty little things and will do well as long as you pay them some attention.

 

[familyofellchicks]

Thanks for the help everyone. They seem much happier with my improvised ac system today.