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 For Sale in
Carter, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Carter Oklahoma,
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. Carter
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Carter Oklahoma, 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 Carter OK.
Baby Chickens Food in
Carter, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Carter Oklahoma
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
Carter Oklahoma * 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 Carter
Oklahoma * 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
Black in
Carter, Oklahoma
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
Carter Oklahoma 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 Carter,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are extremely
cute and also
tough to stand up to,
however it's finest to plan for their
arrival prior to you obtain them. Prepare first
by compiling not just the
right products, yet
also the appropriate
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
simple, you merely should give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm and comfortable
habitat Plenty of food and water Interest and
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, fish tank,
cat service provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to begin, and after a few weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Note: Avoid making use of just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise need
something to serve up food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also an animal bird water dispenser from a
pet dog store. Also, as the chicks age you can present a perch
into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks warm you need to
offer them with a warmth resource.
This can be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb additionally function very
well (my
suggestion). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 until their downy fluff is
changed with feathers (which can take up to two months). The freshly
hatched need a temperature level
between 90 and also 100 degrees,
and also weekly this could
be minimized by
around 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource must be on just one side of the cage
to enable chicks a range of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your heat
light, you should
minimize the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
warmth (not merely cuddling),
you need to include some warmth.
Home cleaning
Tidiness is key and it maintains your chicks healthy. Make certain to transform
the bed linen
commonly and
always offer clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely fast
which calls for a lot of tidy
food and water. Give
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
frequently to prevent dehydrated and also
starving chicks. Chick food is different compared
to grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
first two months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for an additional 2 months,
and then to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks prefer to obtain a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't use up that task until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
room, introduce a tray of sand or
dirt for them to shower in.
Attention and also love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First off, they will certainly more than likely bond with you as well as
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily as well as
view their habits, you could
catch health problem or other troubles previously. Keep an
eye out for hissing, limping, or
various other unhealthy
signs. Make sure to
also check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could result in matted plumes and also clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting badgered. Vacant nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety of your home
as well as relocate outside right into a
coop. Look into our
section on chicken cages for more information
regarding coops as well as
proper coop environments.
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