Too Much Heat??

[NYRIR]

I think my chicks are spoiled...here's why..
My brooder is large enough to accomodate 40 birds to 6 weeks.In the brooder are chicks ranging from 1-3 weeks.I also have 4 ducklings in there that are 1 and 2 weeks old,so I have been being generous with the heat and trying to keep it about 90-95 degrees.Here's the problem.I heat with wood...temps fluctuate in the house,and therefore they fluctuate in the brooder as well.The chicks all seem to enjoy themselves at about 100 degrees,which I know is too high! When it drops below 92 or so...they freak out and huddle.I have it set up with 3 different heat zones hoping they will adjust themselves accordingly because of age difference and species difference.My worry is that it's too hot for the ducklings and might give them slipped wing.I have been trying to go by the behavior versus the temp readings.Any suggestions?BTW, no one is panting,they seem to like the heat....

 

[Gypsy07]

I think that as long as you have cool zones available to them, you shouldn't worry too much. They'll sit where they're most comfortable and if they can escape the heat when they want to, you won't be cooking them. Go by behaviour and you shouldn't have any problems...

 

[FMAFarms]

As long as the brooder has a place where the chicks can get to when they are too hot, you should be fine. I'm curious as to how you are managing the ducklings in the same brooder, since ducklings need water and moisture and chicks don't!

 

[NYRIR]

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That's what I'm hoping...I trust behavior more than reading the temps...just hope I'm not making a mistake!

 

[NYRIR]

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Actually,the ducklings are doing pretty good in with the chicks...only real issue is the mess they try to make with the water.I end up cleaning the pine shavings around the waterers every other day.The waterers are positioned right next to the edges of the brooder and the shavings are like 4 inches deep so it helps to absorb it in a small area.So far,so good....but the bigger they get it might be an issue.Right now they only get to fully immerse when I have time to give them a bath in the tub.They do like to put the shavings IN the water

so that gets changed like 3 x's a day.The last sets of ducklings I had fought terribly with the chicks I had so I had to seperate them.This year they are all buddies which makes it nice