Michigan - Page 3992  

I did a birthing center and it was awesome.

I didn't want to fight anyone. I've hard of placenta wearing (I think that's the term) where they dry it in a bag they wear for awhile with salt and herbs. That was a bit far for me.

I've eaten a lot of strange things in my life but I never eaten placenta.

First deer I killed, i ate his heart. It is tradition to do so. It is a bonding of spirits. 

I have given much thought about my recent problems with rooster aggression. The fav roo i had tried to keep, he started fighting my roo after he got his first hen, and my roo didn't like giving her up. Understandable. Then i stepped in between, and seperarated them with the soft part of the broom, put the newer roo in the goat pen with my red hen. Couple days later the roo started attacking me. Went on for a month despite me trying to get him to knock it off, and i didn't let the roos range together, kept the fav in the pen unless EE was in with his girls.  I think the other EE roo i had to give up may have been the same way, starting after i stepped in., etc etc.   My big question is, should i continue trying to seperate the roos if it is getting serious, or should i leave it be and hope for the best? I never let them get into a fight on purpose, and never in a caged area, they always have room to bow out and run, and i never let the winner pursue if i can help it  I am particularly attached to my pet roo, and i don't want him to be seriously hurt, he is feisty but not a good fighter.

Both of these other roos were not excessivly handled, and were friendly until they got a hen, and i broke up their fights. ?????

Thanks for the information! :) I don't have a thermometer that will read the air very well but I will take my most sensitive one down now to check. To my hand it feels awfully warm (I wouldn't want to sit under it for very long). My basement is dry and I wouldn't consider it cold. They are tucked between a filing cabinet and a stack of plastic bins and I am keeping their bin off the floor with some cardboard boxes because I was afraid of it leeching the heat out from the bottom.

I'll go and put a towel down there so they can go underneath it if they want. So far no one is huddled together under the lamp and no one's hiding from it in the other side. I put the lamp at one end of the bin so they have a choice.

As soon as we could I filled their water dispenser with filtered water and their food dish with the same stuff they were using at the Tractor Supply out here. The light is the same one they were using in the brooding bins at TS, red bulb and everything. They should be a week old at least because that's what the associate told us; they have little wing feathers all ready.

I agonized over the lamp placement and I've been adjusting it all afternoon; I hooked it with the clamps on a bit of metal and a few good tugs didn't bring it down.

Is there anything I am missing? The pasty butt is all better as far as I can tell. The chick is drinking, eating, moving around well. The bedding is all stirred up from their kicking it around (going to make it deeper tomorrow).

Agenda for the morning:
-Add more food, rinse and refresh water dispenser
-Clean bedding, make deeper
-Pick up sticky thermometer for brooder
-Disinfect and scrub larger bin so there is more room for the chicks
-Give them an intact, old towel to snuggle with

Anything else I am missing? I'm going to re-read a few books tomorrow.

ETA:

So I took my thermometer down there, it's a no go since it's electronic. Near the light it was climbing over 95 so I'll get a thermometer from the pet store as soon as I can tomorrow.

They were all asleep until I started poking around to check the temp. No one was sprawled out or panting and they weren't huddled together for warmth. There were a few pairs snuggled together but two that were a bit further apart from each other. I was concerned the air around them was under 90 degrees so I moved the lamp down a few inches. My husband will check on them at 5am. They have plenty of water and food still.

I'm not being mean (it's just cute)  but you are soo a new chicken mom!  It sounds like me two years ago.  I read every book a month before my chicks. I  had everything set up a week in advance.  Now for example hubby brought home 6 chicks last week as a surprise.  I clean a fish tank, grabbed an extra light and waterer from the shed, put a piece of cloth in the bottom, popped the chicks in and cut off a sour cream container to make a dish.  Ten minutes and they were settled.  I even took the time to fix a splay leg on one.  I haven't checked temps since my first batch, I just move it up if they are in a circle around the light and down if they are huddled.  Just wait it takes time but you will catch on fast.  BYC is great for learning.