TEXAS HEAT

[JFL1950]

I JUST STARATED HATCHING MY CHICKS AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE DO WHEN IT IS TOO HOT WHERE THE CHICKS ARE BROODING?
WE HAVE A WORK SHOP WHERE WE ARE PLANING ON KEEPING THEM BUT THE TEMP GETS UP TO AROUND 95 DURNING THE DAYS AND MAYBE 70 AT NIGHT IF LUCKY.
THEY SAY TO LOWER THE TEMP BY 5 DEG A WEEK BUT WITH SUMMER COMING IT WILL BE HARD TO DO.
DO WE JUST LEAVE THEM AT ROOM TEMP? TURN THE FANS ON WITHOUT BLOWING ON THEM?
THANKS

 

[chickedeefarm]

I'm in southern CA and the temps get up there as well. I leave mine to room temperature. When temps decrease throughout the day I adjust the light. The chicks usually let you know by chirping a lot if they are uncomfortable

 

[JamieandShady]

My chicks are 4 weeks now. They do not have any supplemental heat, of course. We do not turn on any fans or anything, we just let em get used to the Texas heat!

 

[Cheri]

My poor babies. They were panting today. I had to turn on their little fan.

 

[allen wranch]

If you are brooding in the house with air conditioning, start with a 75-100W light bulb and switch to a lower one after about two weeks. They should be fine.

Mine go to a spot in the coop at two weeks. If it is summer they are usually warm enough during the day without any supplemental heat. I just turn a light on for them at night when the temps get lower. I have it on a reostat so I can adjust the heat according to the weather.

A lot depends on where the birds are. If they don't have much ventilation, they can actually overheat even without being under a light.

 

[JFL1950]

well its a week later and we went to sams and got a ac/heater for the workshop. I installed it and running it at 80 now they are all doing fine and i can work out there with them not getting too hot.
This way I can get them out of the wifes bathroom.
now to build their coops and runways.
the ducks we were ttrying to hatch this week didn't make it out of the 7 we had three possibles. for some reason they stopped growing.this is what the wife had to say about them:
Today is day 31 and at 10:15 am I took the eggs out back and this is what I found:

#2 - when I cracked it open it came right out still enveloped in the membrane and had not pipped into the air pocket and was not messy

#6 & #7 - when I cracked each open it had a very thick membrane and I had to pick the shell in small pieces and break it and when it came out it was runny and messy and had not pipped into the air pocket

Each one looked like a duck and each was still attached to the yolk sac. Each was still wrapped up to where it couldn't have pipped because I had to take a stick to unwrap it. I hosed them off before burying them and each was a different size.

 

[Cheri]

Im sorry about your ducklings. I would have been so sad.