FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[junglegms]

my little chicks are almost a month old and they are doing good , Im keeping them warm feeding and watering everyday and they are growing like weeds, I go out and check on them at night and some of them sleep all sprawled out and they look dead and it freaks me out a little every time one of them looks like they died, but if I make the slightest noise they all jump up and are just fine, I was playing with them this afternoon and they are all strong and healthy, I just didnt think that chicks layed down to sleep,

 

[drumstick diva]

I think horses sleep standing up. If you think chicks sleeping are spooky, wait till you see them dust bathe outside. It looks like they are throwing fits. Sounds like you are doing a fine job try to relax and enjoy it. How about some pictures of the babies? We'd love to see them.

 

[cmom]

my little chicks are almost a month old and they are doing good , Im keeping them warm feeding and watering everyday and they are growing like weeds, I go out and check on them at night and some of them sleep all sprawled out and they look dead and it freaks me out a little every time one of them looks like they died, but if I make the slightest noise they all jump up and are just fine, I was playing with them this afternoon and they are all strong and healthy, I just didnt think that chicks layed down to sleep,

I know what you mean. I was sort of freaked out in the beginning too.

 

[Runawaylobster]

I know what you mean. I was sort of freaked out in the beginning too.

Ditto!! i still freak out sometimes when they are all sleeping and i have to tap the brooder to make sure LOL!!!

 

[mathchick]

Hi In Howey. Will my hens (6) be ok in a fl hard freeze?

 

[Ariana]

Howdy from a long-time lurker! I've just moved back to Florida and am trying to re-establish my farm. In a month or two I will be looking to purchase 40ish layers (hopefully chicks but am willing to hatch them out myself). Where do people go in the Melbourne/Vero Beach area for chicks? What about the Ocala/The Villages area (I visit my parents there occasionally and also roll through Orlando). I'm also interested in ducks, quail and meat rabbits if anyone has any suggestions for where to purchase those.

I've checked my local Craigslist but the only ones selling are farms I've heard terrible things about and so am not too hot on the idea of buying birds from them.

 

[babowman3]

Howdy from a long-time lurker! I've just moved back to Florida and am trying to re-establish my farm. In a month or two I will be looking to purchase 40ish layers (hopefully chicks but am willing to hatch them out myself). Where do people go in the Melbourne/Vero Beach area for chicks? What about the Ocala/The Villages area (I visit my parents there occasionally and also roll through Orlando). I'm also interested in ducks, quail and meat rabbits if anyone has any suggestions for where to purchase those.

I've checked my local Craigslist but the only ones selling are farms I've heard terrible things about and so am not too hot on the idea of buying birds from them.

Hi there! There's a place in Palm Bay called Funky Chicken Farm. They have a website but I just search it on Google. They have a lot of different age chickens including chicks.

 

[junglegms]

I thought that if it gets to cold it would be a good idea to give them a heat source, I light or a small safe heater , depending on how many chickens and size of the area. I am expecting it to be 19 degrees here Monday and I and making my brooder insulated today

 

[marmca]

If you don't have a coop that can be closed up; I know a Lot of 'open air' coops are just more practical with the heat.

you can either wait till they go to roost and put them in pet carriers well insulated with hay, or bring them in for the night.

If can be done safely a light to keep off the chill. When we had a 3 week freeze, back in '94 I put extra hay and all in together (body heat) plywood to close off and make more like a coop.
Aside from some frostbit combs and loss of toe on one hen they made it through. Vaseline on comb brought it back to 'norrmal' within 2 + weeks, most of toe was still there but nail never came back.

Most important thing about hay is fluff it up/out as much as possible - acts like insulation, so between their feathers, body heat of other birds in confined space and the insulating effect of thick, fluffed out hay they should be fine. It's the very young, small, aged or sickly / poor health that the weather usually claims.

 

[junglegms]

I have seen people board over open coops and place blankets over them, got to keep them above freezing but they are farm animals and pretty tough good luck in this next hard freeze we have coming Monday night