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 Price in
Osage, Oklahoma
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Osage 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. Osage
Oklahoma also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Osage 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 Osage OK.
Baby
Chicks Not Eating in
Osage, Oklahoma
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Osage 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
Osage 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 Osage
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 Hatchery in
Osage, 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
Osage 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 Osage,
Oklahoma Baby chicks are extremely
adorable and also
challenging to resist,
but it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not just the
proper products, yet
additionally the proper
understanding to look after
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
simple, you just need
to supply them with the following: A tidy and also cozy
environment Plenty of food and water Attention and
love Habitat Your habitat can be a basic box, fish tank,
feline carrier, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over paper.
Note: Avoid using just
paper or other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could grow
misshapen. You also need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder as well as water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
lid for food and a pet dog bird water dispenser from a family pet shop. Additionally, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the environment to get them
trained on setting down. Warmth To
maintain your chicks warm you should
offer them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from a
hardware shop, 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 plumes (which can use
up to two months). The newly
hatched out need a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and each week this could
be lowered by
roughly 5 levels approximately. The heat source ought
to be on merely one side of the cage
to enable chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite corner of your heat
light, you need to
minimize the temperature level. If
they are surrounding each other under the
warmth (not simply snuggling),
you have to include some warmth.
House cleaning
Sanitation is crucial and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make sure to change
the bedding
typically and also
constantly supply clean
food and water Food and also water.
Chicks grow really quickly
which needs plenty of tidy
food as well as water. Offer
enough at all times and also check
typically to avoid dehydrated as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is various compared
to grown-up chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated and
also non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, then
switch to a raiser food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and after that to a slightly
reduced healthy protein feed or a layer feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks want
to get a head start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others will not take
up that activity till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to wash in.
Interest and love There are a couple of benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. To start
with, they will certainly probably bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and
watch their habits, you could
capture disease or various
other issues earlier. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
indications. Make certain to
likewise check out
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social issues, such as the
smallest chick getting teased. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
as well as relocate outside right into a cage. Take a look at our
area on chicken cages to learn more
regarding coops and also
proper coop habitats.
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