Too Hot?

[turtlemh]

I am getting my chicks shipped out the 10th. I bought everything I need for them to arrive already. I bought a heat lamp but I plan on keeping them in my garage.

My garage gets really hot like 90-100 degrees during the day. Stupid question but should I either keep the garage door open to let some of that heat out or not use the lamp I bought during the day?

Thanks

 

[lazy gardener]

If the temp is that warm, your bigger issue is to keep them COOL enough. I would definitely NOT use a heat lamp. You might even consider returning the heat lamp, and going with a heating pad. But it must have an override for the auto off feature. Check out this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors

Many more chicks are killed by having too much heat than are by being too cool.

 

[realsis]

Along with the warm area the chicks will need a COOL AREA. THIS IS THE WAY THEY REGULATE THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE. When they get too warm, they move over to the cool area. Having a outside temperature of 100 (in my opinion) is way to hot and they wont be able to cool down when needed. Overheatong can cause many serious issues with them including death. If i were you, (just my opnion) i might tey to find a more temperature friendly area to brood them.if you have no other areas i would try to make sure the did have circulated air available for them and i would LISTEN TO ME CHICKS. If they are loudly chirping, something is wrong. Over heating can also cause pasty butt. Be on the look out for that and keep their vents clean so they can evacuate.pasty butt can kill. What type of heat source will you be using? Keep fresh water at all times available. ( with marbles to keep drowning from happening) i hope this helps. Congratulations on your new babies!!

 

[azjustin]

My garage gets really hot like 90-100 degrees during the day.

This about sums up life for us in the desert SW during the spring and fall. Summertime requires cooling or temps are "insane".

If your ambient temps are lower than the garage temp, bring in the cooler air with fans and such. As others have said, your chicks will need temps lower so that they can regulate body temp and not overheat. However, an open garage door will also invite other animals which may view your chicks as snacks.

For us, I just regulate the garage temp to what the temps should be for the chicks (95 or less for the first week, 90 the next) and nothing lower than 85 because once they are ready for the outside, it will be much hotter. I think the heat lamps got packed away in May?

This method can be difficult and as realsis said: you will have to constantly monitor for chicks in distress and watch for pasty butt (which is always prevalent in high temps). Fresh water is a requirement, several times a day.

Good luck, you'll do fine!

 

[kajira]

Our upstairs bedrooms, reach 100+ in the afternoon - we have two windowed AC units, and then put our heat lamp super high up, so their little area reaches about 100ish under the light, and then over by their food and water (where I keep the thermometer, because i'm more worried about over-heating them, then under heating them at this point) I make sure it says about 80-85, if it doesn't, I turn the heat lamp off until it cools down a little bit just to be safe.

In Texas, we worry more about heat, then we do it being too cold. babies here survive fine outside with their moms usually and it's the heat that kills the chickens, rather than getting too cold. I would make sure you have a way to get the room temp to around 80-85, and make sure their living area is big enough they can get away from the heat lamp. Mine avoid the heatlamp like the plague and just bundle together behind their water when they want to warm up.