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 Under Heat Lamp in
Aniak, Alaska
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Aniak Alaska,
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. Aniak
Alaska also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Aniak Alaska, 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 Aniak AK.
Baby Chickens Eggs in
Aniak, Alaska
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Aniak Alaska
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
Aniak Alaska * 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 Aniak
Alaska * 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 Chickens For Sale Free Shipping in
Aniak, Alaska
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
Aniak Alaska 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 Aniak,
Alaska Baby chicks are quite
charming as well as
difficult to withstand,
yet it's finest to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
correct products, however
additionally the appropriate
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
basic, you just need
to offer them with the following: A tidy and also warm
environment A lot of food and water Attention and also
love Environment Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing only
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You additionally require
something to serve up food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the habitat to get them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
provide them with a warmth source.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb likewise work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can use
up to two months). The recently
hatched require a temperature
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and also each week this can
be minimized by
approximately 5 levels or
so. The heat source should get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
contrary corner of your heat
light, you should
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not merely curling up),
you need to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
frequently and
always supply tidy
food as well as water Food and water.
Chicks grow very quickly
which needs lots of clean
food and also water. Offer
enough at all times and check
often to
stop parched as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than adult chicken food, and it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first 2 months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for another 2 months,
and after that to a somewhat
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others won't use up that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. To start
with, they will probably bond with you and
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
see their habits, you could
capture disease or various
other troubles previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
likewise take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers and obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to look out
for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now fully feathered
and also its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and relocate outside into a cage. Have a look at our
section on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops and also
proper cage environments.
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