Too hot to brood? Help!

[Straw Hat]

We recently relocated from Wyoming to Arizona. While in Wyoming, I researched the best time to start chicks in Arizona and found a site recommending September. September was said to be ideal, as it would be hot for the baby chicks when they first arrived and then gradually cool down. So (while still in Wyoming) I ordered 30 chicks from Ideal Poultry with a hatch date of September 9th. I planned to raise the babies in my garage for the first two weeks, while I build the coop. Well it is almost the 9th and I'm worried it's too hot to raise the chicks. Forecasts for the next 5 days range from 108-115 degrees. Worse, my garage appears to be un-insulatated. Unlike my garage in Wyoming, which was a nice cool cave. My Arizona garage feels like an oven. What can I do? Are hatcheries willing to postpone orders this late? Has anyone done that with Ideal? Is there a way to keep the chicks cool (without putting 30 chicks in my house)?

 

[tsperry88]

I have found the first few weeks to be fairly clean to keep them indoors. They don't try to fly out and the mess stays in the brooder. Much after that they fly out as soon as I take the lid off. I use a infrared brooder heat plate so there is no fire concern. Admittedly the room I brood them in is an unfinished upstairs bedroom, but a couple weeks in any spare room seems doable.

 

[Straw Hat]

I have found the first few weeks to be fairly clean to keep them indoors. They don't try to fly out and the mess stays in the brooder. Much after that they fly out as soon as I take the lid off. I use a infrared brooder heat plate so there is no fire concern. Admittedly the room I brood them in is an unfinished upstairs bedroom, but a couple weeks in any spare room seems doable.

OK. You've got me thinking. Silly me, I thought it was crazy to have 30 chicks in the house, but now I'm considering it. I don't want baked chicks. One thing is for certain, if I order chicks again here in Arizona, it won't be in September!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Those temps are definitely a bit hot.

If you do move them to the garage in the coming weeks and it is HIT in there a fan set in an open window or door can help a lot.

We are forecast to be 100 Saturday. My chicks are a week old as of yesterday and being brooded in the coop. I will spend the morning setting up space in the shade outside for them.
I hope things cool down soon for you.

 

[tsperry88]

Below is what I used for the brooder. 1 sheet cut into (4) 2'x4' pieces and a couple small pieces of wood in the corners screwed from the outside. Fairly cheap and easy. If I was brooding on a nice floor, I would buy a 2nd piece to put under it. I have a lid that goes on top, but they wont fly out for a couple weeks at least. My current ones just started flying out at around 3 weeks. I have a brooder double the size, but 30 2-3 week olds would be fine in a 4x4 brooder.

I dont have a good photo, but attached is what I could find on my phone. I like to keep mine on paper towls for a week. That week is super clean and easy. Just lay fresh on top of the old a few times a day or with 30, every couple hours The bedding in the photo is hemp, but I used course pine shaving on my first batch.

I use this heater:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/brinsea-ecoglow-safety-1200-chick-brooder-ushd612c


https://www.lowes.com/pd/47-75-in-x...oUcxTi_4tVvDq8lzaaxoC6s8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Straw Hat]

Those temps are definitely a bit hot.

If you do move them to the garage in the coming weeks and it is HIT in there a fan set in an open window or door can help a lot.

We are forecast to be 100 Saturday. My chicks are a week old as of yesterday and being brooded in the coop. I will spend the morning setting up space in the shade outside for them.
I hope things cool down soon for you.

Good idea about the fan! I think I will try that this afternoon to see how that changes things. Right now the garage is hotter than the outside temps, which is something I never expected.

 

[Straw Hat]

Below is what I used for the brooder. 1 sheet cut into (4) 2'x4' pieces and a couple small pieces of wood in the corners screwed from the outside. Fairly cheap and easy. If I was brooding on a nice floor, I would buy a 2nd piece to put under it. I have a lid that goes on top, but they wont fly out for a couple weeks at least. My current ones just started flying out at around 3 weeks. I have a brooder double the size, but 30 2-3 week olds would be fine in a 4x4 brooder.

I dont have a good photo, but attached is what I could find on my phone. I like to keep mine on paper towls for a week. That week is super clean and easy. Just lay fresh on top of the old a few times a day or with 30, every couple hours The bedding in the photo is hemp, but I used course pine shaving on my first batch.

I use this heater:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/brinsea-ecoglow-safety-1200-chick-brooder-ushd612c


https://www.lowes.com/pd/47-75-in-x...oUcxTi_4tVvDq8lzaaxoC6s8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks so much. The specifics and links are helpful. It's funny, I thought keeping chicks warm in Wyoming would be challenging. But keeping the chicks from overheating seems even more so.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Good idea about the fan! I think I will try that this afternoon to see how that changes things. Right now the garage is hotter than the outside temps, which is something I never expected.

My attic access is in the garage. Walking under it is like stepping in front of a blast furnace at times. I use a big commercial fan to shove all that hot out if I am going to be working in there.

That fan trick....remember it can blow air IN or OUT with just turning it around. Experiment to see which will work best for you. I will often open the big garage door a couple inches and put the fan in the door to the yard drawing air through without creating a wind tunnel.

 

[RRM]

We are from the Houston, TX area and experience both heat and humidity here. We always start with the brooder in the house as it’s much easier to keep temperatures within range for new chicks. Typically move them out to the transition pen inside the run at 3-4 weeks old once they get some feathers. Our run is in a completely shaded area all day long, and has a metal roof over the top of it, if there is any breeze at all it funnels through the run and it is noticeably cooler in the run than out in the sun somewhere.

 

[Straw Hat]

We are from the Houston, TX area and experience both heat and humidity here. We always start with the brooder in the house as it’s much easier to keep temperatures within range for new chicks. Typically move them out to the transition pen inside the run at 3-4 weeks old once they get some feathers. Our run is in a completely shaded area all day long, and has a metal roof over the top of it, if there is any breeze at all it funnels through the run and it is noticeably cooler in the run than out in the sun somewhere.

Thank you. That is encouraging. I will build the coop with shade and breeze in mind. Your coop is very pretty btw.