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 Coop in
Eastern, Kentucky
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Eastern Kentucky,
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. Eastern
Kentucky also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Eastern Kentucky, 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 Eastern KY.
Feeding Baby Quail Chicks in
Eastern, Kentucky
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Eastern Kentucky
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
Eastern Kentucky * 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 Eastern
Kentucky * 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 How To Care For Them in
Eastern, Kentucky
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
Eastern Kentucky 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 Eastern,
Kentucky Baby chicks are very
cute as well as
hard to resist,
yet it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by gathering not only the
appropriate materials, yet
also the correct
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you just have to give them with the following: A tidy and also warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food as well
as water Attention and also
love Environment Your habitat can be a
simple box, aquarium,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (with no loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using only
newspaper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal shop. Likewise, as the chicks age you could present a perch
right into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a heat resource.
This can be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise work very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can occupy to two months). The newly
hatched require a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as every week this could
be lowered by
about 5 degrees approximately. The warmth resource need to get on simply one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperature levels. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
other corner of your heat
light, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
warmth (not simply cuddling),
you have to add some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bed linens
commonly as well as
consistently provide clean
food as well as water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which calls for plenty of tidy
food and also water. Supply
sufficient in any way times and inspect
usually to prevent thirsty and
hungry chicks. Chick food is various than grown-up chicken food, as well as it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a somewhat
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a running start on taking
filth bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task until they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Attention and love There are a
few advantages to hanging
out with your chicks. Firstly, they will certainly probably bond with you as well as
not run away as grownups. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
watch their behavior, you could
catch health problem or other issues earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other harmful
indications. Make sure to
additionally check out
their poop, as diarrhea can result in matted feathers and clogged cloaca.
Lastly, it is essential to look out
for social concerns, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently totally feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as relocate outside into a
coop. Have a look at our
part on chicken cages to find out
more
regarding cages and also
correct cage environments.
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