A friend who also has baby chickens asked me if my chicks are warm outside in their coop at night this spring. I’ll share my answer here, in case any of you are raising chicks and are wondering the same thing.
*First off, let me get the disclaimer out of the way: I am a first time surrogate mother hen. I have no idea what I’m doing and am guided only by a strong sense of trust in the natural world.*
That said, are my chickens warm enough at night? I think so. It’s been in the 30’s and 40’s the past few nights. I woke up this morning to find ice in the birdbath, so it must have been chilly last night. I think of chickens as I think of tomato plants: they prefer it warm and sunny, with nighttime lows in the upper-40’s at the lowest.
My chickens are in a hen house with a door that closes at night. The floor is covered with a few inches of pine shavings for warmth and comfort. The 250 watt red heat bulb hangs from the ceiling, aimed at a corner.
At this moment (about 10 pm) it is 62 degrees outside. I checked on the chicks and almost all of them are huddled in a big mass. An hour ago, it was a tight mass, away from the heat lamp. I knew it meant they were too hot (not that they don’t have enough room to spread out if they’re too hot… why do they stick together so?). Just now, they are still in a mass, but it’s a looser formation and some of them are drifting toward the heat lamp. By the time dawn breaks, when it is coldest, they will be loosely gathered under the lamp. At that point they will be neither too hot nor too cold – they will be comfortable.
I placed the heat lamp so that it sheds warmth on one corner and should keep the chicks warm even if the temperature drops considerably at night. If it’s warmer, the chicks have a nice, big hen house to spread out in. In the morning, when it’s still chilly outdoors, they venture out of the house to greet the day. Their door is always open during the day, and the heat lamp is always on for them. If they want it, it’s theirs. I have found though that they often do not seek it out. They are feathering out nicely. Surely that has something to do with it.
Are my chickens warm? I think so.
Baby Chickens Facts in
Childersburg, Alabama
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Childersburg Alabama,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Childersburg
Alabama also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Childersburg Alabama, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Childersburg AL.
Baby Chicks Incubator in
Childersburg, Alabama
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Childersburg Alabama
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Childersburg Alabama * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Childersburg
Alabama * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Baby Quail Chicks For
Sale in
Childersburg, Alabama
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Childersburg Alabama is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Childersburg,
Alabama Baby chicks are extremely
cute and
tough to resist,
however it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
proper materials, yet
also the correct
knowledge to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you just need
to give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Focus and also
love Environment Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
paper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
misshapen. You also require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
supply them with a heat source.
This can be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 till their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also each week this can
be decreased by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The heat source need to get on simply one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you have to add some warmth.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is crucial and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
commonly and
consistently provide tidy
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which calls for plenty of clean
food as well as water. Give
sufficient in any way times as well
as check
usually to prevent thirsty and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to adult chicken food, and also it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated ranges. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will most
likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their behavior, you could
capture illness or other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
indications. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can result in matted plumes as well
as clogged cloaca.
Last but not least, it is important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and also relocate outside into a cage. Look into our
section on chicken coops to find out
more
about cages and
proper coop environments.
Baby Chickens And Heat LampsBaby Chicks Gender More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Alton, Alabama Baby Chickens for Sale in Ardmore, Alabama Baby Chickens for Sale in Cecil, Alabama Baby Chickens for Sale in Black, Alabama Baby Chickens for Sale in Chapman, Alabama