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 in
Athens, Louisiana
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Athens Louisiana,
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. Athens
Louisiana also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Athens Louisiana, 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 Athens LA.
Baby Chickens How To Raise in
Athens, Louisiana
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Athens Louisiana
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
Athens Louisiana * 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 Athens
Louisiana * 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 Care in
Athens, Louisiana
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
Athens Louisiana 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 Athens,
Louisiana Baby chicks are quite
adorable and also
difficult to stand up to,
however it's best to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
appropriate materials, yet
also the appropriate
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
easy, you merely should offer them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
environment Plenty of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Environment Your habitat can be a straightforward box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without loose
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid utilizing just
paper or other slipper
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
misshapen. You likewise need
something to dish out food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and an animal bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on setting down. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you have to
give them with a heat source.
This can be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb additionally work effectively (my
referral). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could use
up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature level
in between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also every week this can
be minimized by
around 5 degrees or
so. The heat source should get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your best
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just cuddling),
you need to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Sanitation is essential and also it maintains your chicks healthy. Make sure to transform
the bed linens
often as well as
consistently provide tidy
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks expand quite fast
which needs lots of tidy
food and also water. Provide
enough in any way times and check
often to
stop dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to adult chicken food, and it is available in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to obtain a head start on taking
filth baths, while others won't use up that activity till they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to wash in.
Interest as well as love There are a couple of benefits to hanging
out with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and also
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
watch their habits, you can
catch disease or other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indicators. Make certain to
also consider
their poop, as diarrhea can cause matted plumes and also stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to keep an eye out for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
security of your house
and also relocate outside right into a cage. Check out our
area on chicken cages for more information
concerning cages and also
correct cage habitats.
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