HomesteadNowhere
Songster
I'm about to put in my order for chicks. Aiming for 3/8 shipping date. All heavy asst roos. Brown layers asst hens. Freedom rangers, straight run. Total 75 chicks. This is the start of my flock and breeding program which will result with plenty of meat birds too.
I'm planning to look at zip ties to get and color code the different groups of chicks and be able to put them all in one brooder.
I have a heat lamp and bulb. I just got a big heat plate (50-55 chicks max). In the future I'd like to do max 55 and use just the heat plate.
My barn doesn't have electric to it and not able to setup brooder there. I'm planning on building one on the porch. Kind of rabbit hutch style.
I'm wondering a few things because it's been a few years since I had some chicks and only ever did a few at once.
1) how much space do chicks really need? The reading says .5sq ft for wk 1&2. 1 sq ft for wk 3&4. 2 sq ft for wk 5&6. Actual real life I see alot of totes being used up to 5wks old. Space per chick.
2) I was looking at building 2x10ft. 20sq ft. Would this be enough? Would two of them be enough?
3) Average temperature for my zipcode (ohio)... March 50/30*F. April 63/40*F. May 72/50*F. Getting the chicks second week of March puts me at six weeks old mid April, eight weeks old end of April.
I know it depends on what the weather is deciding to do at the time but how do you wean your chicks off the additional heat? Going by ye ol rule of 5*F per week lowering it'll take the full 8wks to get them weaned of it. Yet reading lots of people not having additional heat after 5wks even in winter.
Thanks
I'm planning to look at zip ties to get and color code the different groups of chicks and be able to put them all in one brooder.
I have a heat lamp and bulb. I just got a big heat plate (50-55 chicks max). In the future I'd like to do max 55 and use just the heat plate.
My barn doesn't have electric to it and not able to setup brooder there. I'm planning on building one on the porch. Kind of rabbit hutch style.
I'm wondering a few things because it's been a few years since I had some chicks and only ever did a few at once.
1) how much space do chicks really need? The reading says .5sq ft for wk 1&2. 1 sq ft for wk 3&4. 2 sq ft for wk 5&6. Actual real life I see alot of totes being used up to 5wks old. Space per chick.
2) I was looking at building 2x10ft. 20sq ft. Would this be enough? Would two of them be enough?
3) Average temperature for my zipcode (ohio)... March 50/30*F. April 63/40*F. May 72/50*F. Getting the chicks second week of March puts me at six weeks old mid April, eight weeks old end of April.
I know it depends on what the weather is deciding to do at the time but how do you wean your chicks off the additional heat? Going by ye ol rule of 5*F per week lowering it'll take the full 8wks to get them weaned of it. Yet reading lots of people not having additional heat after 5wks even in winter.
Thanks