Too hot outside?

[Eagleman]

Last night we put our chicks (about 3.5 or 4 weeks old) outside for the first time and they did just fine...

I went to check on them now and they are all panting a little and spreading their feathers (to cool down?). They are drinking water but I am paranoid that it is too hot for them. It is in the 90's here and they are completely in the shade (in the cage we are using for a brooder with the lamp off, the whole thing underneath the raised coop they will eventually live in).

Is it too hot for them or is there anything I should be doing for them in this heat?

Thanks!!

 

[ChickenToes]

I don't think it's too hot, just make sure you keep doing what you're doing - fresh water and shade.

 

[onthespot]

I agree. They need to acclimate to the heat and the only way they can do it is to be in it a little. As long as they don't seem overly stressed, I'd let them figure out how to handle it before REAL summer gets here.

 

[Lea71]

Mine are doing the same today, it's in the triple digits here...blech!!

I put a little fan in their coop to circulate the air and have a few 2-liter bottles with frozen water in there for them. They are huddled around and sitting on the bottles to cool off. Another great idea I got from a fellow BYC member.

 

[Eagleman]

Thanks everyone! I did put ice cubes in thier waterer so that the water stays real cool.

If it gets hotter I'll try the frozen water bottle trick.