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 Chicks Online in
Bennington, Indiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Bennington Indiana,
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. Bennington
Indiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Bennington Indiana, 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 Bennington IN.
Baby Chicks House in
Bennington, Indiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Bennington Indiana
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
Bennington Indiana * 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 Bennington
Indiana * 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 And
Ducks in
Bennington, Indiana
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
Bennington Indiana 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 Bennington,
Indiana Baby chicks are quite
cute and
difficult to resist,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare first
by collecting not only the
correct materials, but
additionally the proper
knowledge to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply have to supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Plenty of food and water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be an easy box, fish tank,
cat carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid utilizing only
newspaper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a
pet dog shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you have to
give them with a heat source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched out require a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as every week this could
be minimized by
around 5 degrees or
so. The warmth source ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not simply curling up),
you need to put some heat.
House cleaning
Sanitation is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bed linen
commonly as well as
always give clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quick
which requires plenty of clean
food and water. Provide
sufficient whatsoever times and examine
usually to prevent dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and also it is available in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others won't use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly most
likely bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and
enjoy their behavior, you could
catch ailment or other problems earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other undesirable
indicators. Be sure to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted plumes and also obstructed cloaca.
Last but not least, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social concerns, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and also move outside into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to read more
concerning coops and
proper cage environments.
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