How hot is too hot?

[CeciMami]

I have our brooder set up in our garage and my chicks are about a week old. I live in the Mojave Desert so by the end of the day it’s about 93 degrees in there. I have a brooder plate set up and the chicks are rarely under it during the day…I guess it’s too warm then, but I find them under it first thing in the morning. As the temps slowly rise I’m worried that the ambient temp in the garage will get too hot for them…does anyone know how hot is too hot? Should I bring the brooder inside my house so my little ladies don’t get heat stroke? I know that the heat plate works great…but should I turn it off during the day maybe? Please advise as I am a brand new chicken keeper and am so loving these little fluff balls so far…I want to take good care of them.

 

[Nomadicus]

First Welcome to BYC. Day old chicks start out at 95° with 5° less each week is what I've been taught. Give them room to go to warmth and to get away if it is to much.

 

[CeciMami]

First Welcome to BYC. Day old chicks start out at 95° with 5° less each week is what I've been taught. Give them room to go to warmth and to get away if it is to much.

That’s what I’m asking…the ambient temps are already at 93 degrees…so over 95 degrees should I bring the whole brooder and chicks indoors where the temps are in the 70’s? Then they can easily go under the plate to warm up when chilly. In the garage there’s no escaping the heat if it’s too much…kwim?

 

[Nomadicus]

That’s what I’m asking…the ambient temps are already at 93 degrees…so over 95 degrees should I bring the whole brooder and chicks indoors where the temps are in the 70’s? Then they can easily go under the plate to warm up when chilly. In the garage there’s no escaping the heat if it’s too much…kwim?

Does the heating plate have a thermostat control so it will not heat over 95°? If so and the garage does not go over 95° I wouldn't bring them in and risk a malfunction of the heat plate and chilling the chicks. It's your call as you best know what the temp in your garage will be over night.

 

[CeciMami]

Does the heating plate have a thermostat control so it will not heat over 95°? If so and the garage does not go over 95° I wouldn't bring them in and risk a malfunction of the heat plate and chilling the chicks. It's your call as you best know what the temp in your garage will be over night.

It doesn’t have a thermostat…but I’ve angled it so that the chicks can decide where they want to hang out, closer to or further away from the heat it’s putting out. The garage temps overnight are falling to mid 70’s right now…but that won’t last long here as it just gets hotter and hotter as the weeks go by.