The heat!

[gottsegnet]

OK, I can't believe that I took the heat off our week old chicks and replaced it with an ice pack. It's107 out and my daughter's little 4H broiler project is feeling it. They're all stretched out, panting and looking miserable. We lost one yesterday so today they have ice.

All our adults are doing fine. Staying in the shade with a little panting, but still plenty of energy to squabble, scratch and chase me when they think I have treats!

 

[gritsar]

Yep, I was stunned myself when I had to take heat off my 2 week old, outside brooder chicks three weeks ago. They are five weeks now. They all look forward to their afternoon field trip outside in the grass and dig in the cool earth.

 

[MMPoultryFarms]

You can also Freeze some milk jugs about 3/4 full and out them in there its what i do were at a heat index of 110

 

[3dogs]

Similar heat issues here, but dry desert air, so no humidity. I put out a low tray with water that my 2+ week old chicks walk in, especially if they spot the peas in it! I am considering spraying the ground with water and letting the breeze evaporate it. It seems that should help keep them cooler. Any drawbacks to that? They are on dirt in a 6'x12' covered dog kennel.

 

[Lotsapaints]

Quote:
For us in CA that works great and I use shade cloth and if it keeps getting hotter frozen milk jugs work well too or misters with a fan...mine like to have me wet the dust holes and my Delawares just like to be misted with the hose they run under it and thru it

 

[gottsegnet]

Quote:
The only drawback I would see is how quickly they foul up the water, but if you're there to keep up with it, it sounds like a great way to keep cool!

 

[gottsegnet]

We are going to be gone for 24 hours so I'm contemplating what to do about the heat. There's an overnight low of 70, so they'll need a little heat, and the high is "only" 89 tomorrow. Deciding whether to put their lamp such that it only catches a corner of their pen, or if I should just leave it off and let them huddle for the hour or two of 70s...

 

[gottsegnet]

My pullets and cockerels were all panting under a bush so I went out to mist them. They took off and I couldn't catch them so I decided they weren't that hot.

Unlike these pesky broiler chicks. They're so sprawled out they look dead until I go to pick them up, but they're hardly light on their feet. I don't know how they're going to survive when they get big and fat.

Why does 4H have to have us raise these things in the heat of summer?

 

[Arcane Araucana]

Quote:
Same here in the northwest corner of AZ. HOT, HOT, HOT. I make an "ice fort" under the coop with frozen bottles and freezer bags frozen with water (double bag them and leave some air). They lay on those without getting wet and having sand stuck to them. I've got shade cloth over half the run and the coop is under the palms. I have a sprinkler and they wade in the water from that but don't run through it like kids would. They're on sand and it absorbs really quickly so its back to the ice fort where they hang out for most of the day, panting like dogs. Lots of fresh, clean water. I'm changing the one under the coop twice a day.

 

[3dogs]

The shade cloth on top of the kennel only seemed to cut the heat a few degrees so I put a tarp over it to provide more shade. I changed the water in the tray 3 or 4 times as the chicks brought in debris, and the water warmed. They were afraid of the small ice packs I put into their brooder this evening, and wouldn't go near them, unfortunately. At my last check at 10:00PM, I found the chicks and young geese no longer panting, but decided the chicks didn't need a heat lamp tonight!