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 Baby
Chickens in
Harpursville, New York
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Harpursville New York,
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. Harpursville
New York also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Harpursville New York, 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 Harpursville NY.
Baby Chicks Home in
Harpursville, New York
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Harpursville New York
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
Harpursville New York * 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 Harpursville
New York * 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 Habitat in
Harpursville, New York
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
Harpursville New York 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 Harpursville,
New York Baby chicks are very
cute as well as
tough to withstand,
however it's ideal to plan for their
arrival before you obtain them. Prepare first
by collecting not just the
proper materials, yet
additionally the correct
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is reasonably
simple, you simply have to offer them with the following: A tidy as well as warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food and water Attention as well as
love Environment Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
cat provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loose
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks make use of straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using just
newspaper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You likewise require
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle container
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks get
older you could present a perch
right into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks heat you need to
offer them with a heat resource.
This could be as simple as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
light bulb additionally function extremely well (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
warmth 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with plumes (which could take up to 2 months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature level
between 90 as well as 100 levels,
and also weekly this can
be lowered by
approximately 5 degrees or
so. The warmth resource ought
to get on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks a variety of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
lamp, you should
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not merely curling up),
you should include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key as
well as it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to alter
the bed linen
often and
always give tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks expand really quick
which calls for plenty of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough at all times and also check
typically to prevent dehydrated as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
and then to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
dirt baths, while others will not occupy that task until they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Focus and also love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly more than likely bond with you and
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
enjoy their habits, you can
capture ailment or various
other troubles earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other harmful
signs. Be sure to
additionally take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea could result in matted feathers and clogged up cloaca.
Last but not least, it is essential to keep an eye out for social issues, such as the
tiniest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and also move outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
section on chicken cages to learn more
about cages as well as
appropriate cage habitats.
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