Baby chicks in the summer heat

[chickluvinfreak]

I am raising some baby chicks now and the weather is 100+ degrees without a heat lamp. Even without a lamp a few still pant. I'm not sure if anyone else has had a problem with young chicks (under a month) being overheated. But I thought I would share my ideas on how to keep them cool. If you have any other ideas please let me know. Here are some ways to keep them cool without getting them wet or blowing air directly on them.
Ice water
Electrolytes (follow package directions)
Overhead fan if available
frozen water bottles to lay on
Shallow pan with frozen water and bricks (As the water melts it will be absorbed through the bricks and keep the chicks cool without getting them wet.)
Cold bricks or tiles to lay on
Frozen or chilled scrambled eggs
Lots of shade and ventilation

 

[Rod-T]

Or brood them in house or garage or like building. .

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Or brood them in house or garage or like building. .

That would be OK in a emergency, but I'm worried the transition from a room temperature home to 115-120 degrees outside would shock them too much.

 

[Rod-T]

Just give them shade

 

[Fletch83]

I am raising some baby chicks now and the weather is 100+ degrees without a heat lamp. Even without a lamp a few still pant. I'm not sure if anyone else has had a problem with young chicks (under a month) being overheated. But I thought I would share my ideas on how to keep them cool. If you have any other ideas please let me know. Here are some ways to keep them cool without getting them wet or blowing air directly on them.
Ice water
Electrolytes (follow package directions)
Overhead fan if available
frozen water bottles to lay on
Shallow pan with frozen water and bricks (As the water melts it will be absorbed through the bricks and keep the chicks cool without getting them wet.)
Cold bricks or tiles to lay on
Frozen or chilled scrambled eggs
Lots of shade and ventilation

All good ideas! I always use electrolytes in my chickens' water for both the young pullets and grown hens. They are always under lots of shade outside too.

Something else I have done is to get a muffin tin, fill the sections with water, and add corn, then freeze. Corn popsicles for the hens!

 

[susanfmo]

I am picking up my first day old chicks in a week and I also want to raise them outside in my new coop. It is in the 90's now, down to 70 or higher at night. It is also very humid here in southern Missouri, so the pine shavings will absorb some of the humidity

. I plan to use overhead fans and a mama heater pad for whenever it is a little cooler overnight (I figure that won't heat up the coop). My not quite finished coop is shown: rocks are for better drainage, but will be covered with weed mat and shavings. Nest box opening will be boarded for now (no eggs for a while!) and all openings are very secure with hardware cloth sandwiched with boards. (Hardware cloth buried around edges also. They'll be shaded and ventilated. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[chickluvinfreak]

I am picking up my first day old chicks in a week and I also want to raise them outside in my new coop. It is in the 90's now, down to 70 or higher at night. It is also very humid here in southern Missouri, so the pine shavings will absorb some of the humidity

. I plan to use overhead fans and a mama heater pad for whenever it is a little cooler overnight (I figure that won't heat up the coop). My not quite finished coop is shown: rocks are for better drainage, but will be covered with weed mat and shavings. Nest box opening will be boarded for now (no eggs for a while!) and all openings are very secure with hardware cloth sandwiched with boards. (Hardware cloth buried around edges also. They'll be shaded and ventilated. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Cool set up. Too bad it's humid, the chickens really appreciate misters in dry areas like arizona. The fans will be good to keep the air moving and a bit cooler. The only advice is what I said above. Frozen water bottles or jugs, ice water and electrolytes. And my chicks LOVE eggsicles. You just scramble eggs put them in muffin tins with some water and freeze them. It's a healthy way to keep them cool without feeding them treats that aren't nutritious. Also keep a bucket of cool water on hand to dunk any chickens with heat stroke in. Some people disagree with this because getting a chickens feathers wet will cause them to lose their insulation and not keep cool. But I had a hen who was dying and I saved by doing this and giving her electrolytes via a syringe. Just make sure to only do it in a emergency. Good luck with your chicks.

 

[brittlyn4]

I'm in the same boat, and in Arizona. Right now our chicks are in the house, only because the temps outside have been 115 plus, but we are planning on moving them outside soon. We took the heat lamp off even in our house and they have been fine. Thanks for the ideas! Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Pendragonz]

I'm in the same boat, and in Arizona. Right now our chicks are in the house, only because the temps outside have been 115 plus, but we are planning on moving them outside soon. We took the heat lamp off even in our house and they have been fine. Thanks for the ideas! Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[HannaDolly]

Can anyone tell me if I'll need my heat lamp at all during the day? Is there a guideline for outside temps and heat lamps? It's roughly 80 to 90 outside during the day 70s at night. These will be new chicks. Only 2 in my coop covered in mesh so the big chickens leave them be