Welcome to the Colorado thread to the newbies!
We have about 3 inches on the ground, back into the 70's by Mid week, agh spring in the Rockies!
Well since I can't do much outside been working on my heating pad set up for the brooder. Here is my work in progress, I put it into the brooder last night. It was their first night without the heat lamp and also no light since no heat lamp. You have to buy a heating pad that doesn't automatically turn off after two hours.
I started with a tomatoe cage and made some cuts.
The original cut on the cage made my frame too big and too long. So I made more cuts and adjusted. I wrapped chicken wire around it for support as the chicks climb on it just like they would with a mom hen. I then went through all the wire and flattened any shar edges with a pair of pliers.
Here is the gang checking it out, typically you cover the top with straw as well. This were shots of my trial run.
After they all fell sleep napping on top, I transferred them into their warm cave. It was 92 in there and they all stayed for a bit. After that the three smallest in the flock stayed inside while the others were on top.
Last night they did great, by lights out they had all fallen asleep on top, so I turned off the lights and then transferred them into the cave. They stayed all night, some slept in front of the cave, but most slept in. They were quiet until morning and at morning light they were out of the cave and running around in their brooder. This set up is awesome, I decided to go with this set up after I got to thinking about the fact that the chicks never have a "night" per see when they are continually under the heat lamps. Think about it, if they were in the coop with mom they would be going through the night in the dark. Well I know that having that down time is extremely important for growth, rest and regeneration for people, why wouldn't this apply to chicks? In my mind it made totally sense and it affords me a way to rear the chicks more natural, as if they were with mom. This also will allow me to move them into the small coop without the use of a heat lamp, by next week. They will just be two weeks old on Wednesday.
Here is a shot of the small coop, which is where they will go next. There needs some work to it, I need to block of the nest boxes, take the roosts down and reinforce the hardware cloth over the windows. Once I can get that done then we be moving the littles out to the coop for their new brooder. I will post pictures when we move them.
Just wanted to share this information as I was asked about it, as well as I think this whole set up is pretty cool. Check out the thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rooder-picture-heavy-update/570#post_15234859
We have about 3 inches on the ground, back into the 70's by Mid week, agh spring in the Rockies!
Well since I can't do much outside been working on my heating pad set up for the brooder. Here is my work in progress, I put it into the brooder last night. It was their first night without the heat lamp and also no light since no heat lamp. You have to buy a heating pad that doesn't automatically turn off after two hours.
I started with a tomatoe cage and made some cuts.
The original cut on the cage made my frame too big and too long. So I made more cuts and adjusted. I wrapped chicken wire around it for support as the chicks climb on it just like they would with a mom hen. I then went through all the wire and flattened any shar edges with a pair of pliers.
Here is the gang checking it out, typically you cover the top with straw as well. This were shots of my trial run.
After they all fell sleep napping on top, I transferred them into their warm cave. It was 92 in there and they all stayed for a bit. After that the three smallest in the flock stayed inside while the others were on top.
Last night they did great, by lights out they had all fallen asleep on top, so I turned off the lights and then transferred them into the cave. They stayed all night, some slept in front of the cave, but most slept in. They were quiet until morning and at morning light they were out of the cave and running around in their brooder. This set up is awesome, I decided to go with this set up after I got to thinking about the fact that the chicks never have a "night" per see when they are continually under the heat lamps. Think about it, if they were in the coop with mom they would be going through the night in the dark. Well I know that having that down time is extremely important for growth, rest and regeneration for people, why wouldn't this apply to chicks? In my mind it made totally sense and it affords me a way to rear the chicks more natural, as if they were with mom. This also will allow me to move them into the small coop without the use of a heat lamp, by next week. They will just be two weeks old on Wednesday.
Here is a shot of the small coop, which is where they will go next. There needs some work to it, I need to block of the nest boxes, take the roosts down and reinforce the hardware cloth over the windows. Once I can get that done then we be moving the littles out to the coop for their new brooder. I will post pictures when we move them.
Just wanted to share this information as I was asked about it, as well as I think this whole set up is pretty cool. Check out the thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...rooder-picture-heavy-update/570#post_15234859
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. Hoping everyone has a great day and enjoys some nicer weather in the upcoming week. Babs
Our lilac bushes were pretty much destroyed in the storm last night but it looks like the covers on the tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins & my tiny watermelon plant didn't blow over in the wind. Fingers crossed they survived! We ended up with drifts ankle to shin high on me (I'm short, so that's probably like 3in to a foot), but the sun is out & everythings melting already. Hope y'all have a good Mother's Day!
