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 Facts in
Scottsville, Virginia
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Scottsville Virginia,
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. Scottsville
Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Scottsville Virginia, 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 Scottsville VA.
Baby Chicks Order Online in
Scottsville, Virginia
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Scottsville Virginia
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
Scottsville Virginia * 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 Scottsville
Virginia * 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 Home in
Scottsville, Virginia
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
Scottsville Virginia 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 Scottsville,
Virginia Baby chicks are extremely
charming and
tough to stand up to,
however it's best to prepare for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare initially
by compiling not only the
correct materials, but
additionally the proper
expertise to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you just need
to give them with the following: A
clean and also warm and comfortable
environment A lot of food and water Focus as well as
love Environment Your environment could be a
simple box, fish tank,
pet cat service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
blankets (without any loosened
strings!) to begin, and also after a
couple of weeks utilize straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of only
paper or other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
dish from the feed shop, or a pickle jar
cover for food and a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you can present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
trained on perching. Warmth To
keep your chicks heat you need to
supply them with a warmth source.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb also function extremely well (my
referral). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 till their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which can use
up to 2 months). The recently
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
as well as every week this can
be reduced by
around 5 levels or
so. The heat source need to get on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperature levels. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
contrary edge of your warmth
light, you need to
decrease the temperature. If
they are smothering each various other under the
heat (not just curling up),
you have to add some heat.
Housekeeping
Tidiness is vital and also it maintains your chicks healthy and
balanced. Be sure to change
the bed linens
frequently as well as
always provide clean
food as well as water Food and also water.
Chicks grow extremely quickly
which needs a lot of clean
food as well as water. Provide
enough whatsoever times as well
as inspect
usually to
stop parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, as well as it comes
in both medicated as well as non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial 2 months, after that
switch to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dust bathrooms, while others will not use up that activity up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
enclosure, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Interest and love There are a couple of advantages to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will probably bond with you and also
not escape as grownups. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily as well as
see their actions, you could
capture ailment or various
other problems previously. Keep an
eye out for wheezing, hopping, or
various other unhealthy
indications. Be sure to
likewise consider
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted plumes as well
as stopped up cloaca.
Lastly, it is important to watch out for social problems, such as the
tiniest chick obtaining picked
on. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are now fully feathered
as well as its time for them to leave the
security of your residence
and also relocate outside right into a
coop. Check out our
area on chicken coops to get more information
about cages as well as
appropriate cage environments.
Baby Chicks BuyBaby Chickens How To Care For Them More Posts Baby Chickens for Sale in Bee, Virginia Baby Chickens for Sale in Delaplane, Virginia Baby Chickens for Sale in Reva, Virginia Baby Chickens for Sale in Burr Hill, Virginia Baby Chickens for Sale in Harman, Virginia