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
Vassalboro, Maine
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Vassalboro Maine,
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. Vassalboro
Maine also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Vassalboro Maine, 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 Vassalboro ME.
Baby Chicks in
Vassalboro, Maine
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Vassalboro Maine
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
Vassalboro Maine * 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 Vassalboro
Maine * 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 Chicks House in
Vassalboro, Maine
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
Vassalboro Maine 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 Vassalboro,
Maine Baby chicks are extremely
charming as well as
tough to resist,
however it's finest to prepare for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper materials, yet
also the appropriate
knowledge to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
basic, you merely have to provide them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
environment Lots of food as well
as water Attention and
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
feline provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels as well as
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can grow
malformed. You also require
something to provide food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed shop, or a pickle container
lid for food and an animal bird water dispenser from a pet shop. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
provide them with a warmth resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb additionally work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which can use
up to two months). The recently
hatched need a temperature
in between 90 and 100 levels,
and every week this could
be minimized by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The warmth source must be on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermometer- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
warmth (not just curling up),
you need to include some warmth.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is key and it maintains your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linens
frequently and
consistently supply tidy
food and water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand very quickly
which needs plenty of clean
food and also water. Offer
sufficient at all times as well
as check
often to prevent thirsty and
hungry 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
first two months, after that
change to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Soil Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
filth baths, while others won't occupy that activity until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
room, present a tray of sand or
dirt for them to bathe in.
Attention and love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
view their actions, you can
catch disease or other problems previously. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
other unhealthy
indications. Make sure to
likewise look at
their poop, as diarrhea could lead
to matted plumes and blocked cloaca.
Lastly, it is necessary to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick obtaining badgered. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now totally feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your home
and relocate outside right into a cage. Check out our
part on chicken coops to find out
more
concerning coops and also
proper cage environments.
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