Texas

[allen wranch]

Hi Lammie and Sarah. Welcome to BYC.

Sarah,
Before I address the heat - what kind of a brooder are you babies in on the carport and how secure is it ? Predators love baby chicks (actually any chickens) and can easily get into some brooders if they are not secure.

This time of year, heat can be deadly. You shouldn't need extra heat for them during the day. A regular light bulb should be sufficient at night, if they are not in a draft. (I usually brood indoors for two weeks, then move them out to the coop.)

If your coop is totally enclosed, it may be too hot. Be sure to allow for plenty of ventilation (not drafts) when they are inside the coop. If you use a fan, aim it outside so it pulls the hot air from the coop.

I see there is a thread about this in the baby chicks section, so you should get lots of good advice there too.

 

[Lammie]

Quote:
I don't use heat lamps at all on chicks in summer. It is hot enough and they can die from the heat. Pretty much anything that stresses them will kill them. Just make sure they aren't over crowded and have access to fresh water.

 

[mylittlehof]

Thanks for the reply(s)! I using an old dog crate with lots of cardboard surrounding the bottom - I believe is fairly secure - I may move them in the workshop overnight after reading the posts. I appreciate the tip about the fan - I was worried about that, but didn't know if blowing out would help at all. Any other ideas for what to do if it is too hot and I can't use the coop? Why can't we have a summer like last, minus the flooding

Sarah

 

[allen wranch]

It would be a good idea to move them inside at night. Some predators (mainly raccoons) can reach in and grab a bird, then pull it to the side of the cage to eat as much as it can. Cats may try too. Raccoons can also undo a lot of latches. Dogs or coyotes can be a problem if they are able to knock a cage or brooder down.

I am predator paranoid, but for good reason. I lot of new chicken owners underestimate what a predator will do to get to its prey.

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

Question for you fellow txans - is it ever too hot for the chicks? The brooder I have them in is outside on our carport and seems to be hovering between 90 and 100 for now, but when they are feathered I want to move them into the coop and it can get above 100 in there (I monitored it for a few days - I can put a fan in and will) but was wondering if it would I will be seeing problems in the coop when I move them due to the heat.

The only real trouble I've had with heat this year has been my ducklings. The first really hot week this year killed off more than half my ducklings and they were inside! My chicks have made it through fine though with one or two fatalities in the worst of it.​

 

[wynedot55]

hey lammie howd you find your way over here.i thought they kept you hoggtied over at the other board.

 

[Lammie]

Quote:
Everyone kept talking about it, so I decided to register. It is nice to meet fellow chicken keepers. Most of the people I know think I am crazy for it. I do like fresh eggs, even if the roosters wake me up every day.

 

[kaledrina]

Over here in Bedford (Roughly 30min towards either Dallas or Ft Worth)...

Planning on getting a few bantams soon, not sure when, have to check with the city and neighbors first.

 

[allen wranch]

Kaledrina

Good luck on your chicken quest. You will love the little fellas when you get them. (Sending good vibes that your town will allow some.)

 

[Texas Leghorn]

Just checking in, we are from the Canyon Lake area North of San Antonio. The last time I was involved with raising chickens was back in Iowa when I was growing up. To put that into perspective, I retired 2 years ago.