Too hot?

[robyn8]

I have two day old chicks. This is my first time raising chicks and am wondering what temp is too hot for them. We have them in our attached garage in a kiddy pool with cardboard around the sides. It's about 3 ft or so across. The side with the heat lamp Is about 94-96 degrees and the side without it says about 90 degrees. Chicks seem happy and are either sleeping in the middle or walking around exploring. I'm a little worried it will get too hot in there tomorrow when I'm at work and garage door is closed. I'm in Michigan with a high tomorrow of 88.

Thanks in advance!
Robyn

 

[ldawntaylor]

Do you know how hot it gets in the garage during the day with the door closed? I'm sure it gets hot, I'm just wondering how hot.

Also, you might want to check out the "Mama Heating Pad" thread for an option to the heat lamp. I've always felt rather wary of those things.

 

[molly1chickens]

The temperature that chicks should be kept in their first week is 95 degrees fahrenheit, second week down to 90 and so on. The way to tell if they are to hot is if they are spread around the outside or in the far corner away from the heat lamp. If they are to cold they will bunch together close to the heat lamp and if they are perfect temperature they will be happily wandering around and spread out. just make sure the temperature does not rise to far from 95 degrees and they should be alright.

 

[robyn8]

Thanks for the responses! My husband is more nervous about a heating pad actually for some reason. He's afraid they'd peck at the cord I think. I'm not sure how hot it gets with the door closed but with it open its about 90 or so in there. The problem is I won't be there all day to monitor them tomorrow. They are quite content right now though.

 

[ldawntaylor]

Do you have a way to keep the door fastened enough for security - but not shut all the way?

 

[robyn8]

There a couple Windows I can open.

 

[ldawntaylor]

If yesterday's outside temperature was about the same as today's will be then having the windows open should help keep them at the conditions they are used to. I hope those windows have screens. It is amazing what will try to get in if there is a reason.

 

[chickentvforme]

Hi there. Congrats on the new babies. I have my 2 week Olds in our garage as well. I live in Alabama and the outside Temps are mid 90s so my garage gets way hotter than that. I just keep the door from my kitchen open to the garage. It let's the AC get in there and temper the heat in the daytime. It might make my bill a little higher but the piece of mind is totally worth it. Garages get so hot!

 

[robyn8]

Hello again!

So I ended up keeping the chicks in the garage with a window open and the door open whenever we were home. They have done well and are now 3 weeks old. I don't use the heat lamp during the day anymore but use it at night as the temps are in the 60s at night. The coop was just finished yesterday and I'm thinking of moving them is as I worry it will be too hot in the garage during the day now that they are older. The problem is it's still too cold at night and in the morning without the heat lamp. There's no electricity to coop yet. I'd like to move them to the coop in the mornings and keep them in the garage at night with the lamp. Is that a bad idea? Will it be too cold in the coop the first few hours they are in there? It was about 65 this morning at the time I would have been moving them.

Thanks for any comments!

 

[ldawntaylor]

My youngest birds were in the outdoor coop at three weeks old. They had a box available to go into if they were cold. Around here it was only getting into the sixties as a high. The birds have done quite well.

I think how well yours would do depends on feathering and having a draft free place.

If you choose to transport them back and forth I am sure that would work. In fact, that was my plan but they did so well I just left them out in the coop. I did watch the overnight lows for a few weeks to be sure I could bring them in if it got too cold.