Raising the Galaxies

[Hedgeland Farms]

I've been hesitant to share this as this isn't everyone's ideal set up. It's probably no one's ideal set up. I've been trying to research brooding outside and have decided to document my attempt. The weather and anything and everything I am trying as far as heat goes. My mistakes and loses but also my victories.... if there are any!


Feb 25th. Got 21 chicks in the evening around 6pm. Weather high today was 45 low tonight 35. Placed them in the brooder box, inside the coop with a Cozy Coop heat plate. There they stayed overnight!

Feb 26th. Chicks stayed outdoors. Came home on lunch to check on chicks and one had gotten smothered. Started using the Heat plate and a microwavable heating pad which i warm every few hours when i go back to check on the chicks. High today of 56 low of 39. Warmed up heating pad at 8pm and again at 3am when I got up for work.

Feb 27th. Chicks stayed outdoors. High today of 65 low of 44. Heating pad got warmed at 3am. At 4pm i tried to warm up the heating pad and it abt caught fire.... Cozy coop has stayed on this entire time. Night check, everyone was cuddled around the cozy coop board and are sleeping. Some on the back and some on the front. It's making me wonder if I need a second heat board.... I chose to continue without a second board.

Feb 28th. Chicks slept outdoors last night. High today of 59 low of 48. Morning check, lost 1 more chick to being smothered. After the loss of a second chick due to smothering...and not knowing if it was avoidable by having TWO sources putting off heat, I decided to add the heat lamp. I added it during the day, during my 3 days off as to observe it before deciding to leave it. Gave chicks some probiotics and some electrolytes as I haven't given them any since I've gotten them and a few of them came home with nasty pasty pasty butt. They seem to be thankful for a wider range of heat.
730 pm at 51 degrees outside I unplugged the heat lamp to allow the bulb to cool down, and i left the cozy coop heat board on. Plugged the heat lamp back in around 9pm. Wiped some pasty butt today, and added vitamin E oil around vents.

March 1st. Chicks spent last night outdoors. High today of 73, low tonight of 40. I have yet to cave and bring them in, but why would I when I see how well they are doing without me hovering.

I went out at 130am to check on things (my husband's alarm went off, so he could get up for work, and it woke me up) chicks all seem happy safe and warm ...best part they are all still alive, no smothering. I went out to let my first flock out at 530am and checked the heat lamp again and on the Barred Rocks which the kids have so lovingly named The Galaxies. Everyone is doing great, heat lamp went off for awhile to cool down the bulb, and the cozy coop remains on.


Brought home 12 more barred rock chicks to replace the two I lost . One seems as though it may not make it due to a huge case of pasty butt. I took care of it...but now it's a wait and see game. Currently I have 30 chicks running around their brooder having the time of their lives
(Hopefully the last one bounces back! )

I decided to try dropping a t shirt over my cozy coop...the chicks seem to love it and the shirt isn't getting hot at all. I feel better abt this option than any of the others.

730 night check temperature is 59 degrees. The t-shirt is still over the cozy coop. The chicks are all huddled underneath and sleeping. The heat lamp is off.

March 2nd. Night check at 1am when my husband's alarm went off. Temperature is 53 outside my coop thermometer is reading 60. I turned the heat lamp on mostly for them to see than for anything else. They are all up grabbing some food and drinks of water. I'll turn it off when I get up at 3am or so when my husband leaves for work. I tucked the thermometer under the t-shirt to try to get a semi decent read for under there.

I went out and checked it at 215 am and it read 80 degrees which is acceptable to me. Turned the heat lamp off for the rest of the night so the Galaxies would go back to bed.

Went out at 630 to check temp in coop. Reading 47 degrees and the outside real feel temp is 37 degrees. I turned the heat lamp back on bc the sun is rising and it doesn't always come into the coop right away. I am trying hard to not cause pasty butt by messing with the temp of the brooder (on and off of heat light) which is why I am leaving the t-shirt over top of the cozy coop board. That'll be a stable tempature even if outside of it changes (should not change that much my heat lamp is like 6ft away from the bottom of the brooder) just enough to cut the chill, maybe.

The chick that had the super pasty butt from yesterday isn't just huddled on the board anymore, infact there are 31 chicks running around the brooder having the time of their lives, here's to hoping she's feeling fine!

ran to get some chick grit and came back to 2 more smothered babies even with a dual heat source. Their brooder is 4x4 and plenty of space for them currently. Their grow out will be their 10x10 coop. I am just so beside myself. Was brooding outdoors wrong?? If they were inside would I have loss these 4 chicks?!? I know losses are apart of chicken farming, but

I flipped the heat board so it was supported at an angle from the side...so the hot part is on top of the chicks.
This appears to be a chick favorite now that their backs can touch the heat. Hopefully this eliminates the smothering issue.

Chick count 29

Chick count at lock down, 29

High today was 60 degrees
Low tonight 43 degrees

I'll continue to update each day with a new entry as days go on. I am really excited abt documenting as much as I can abt raising them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd disagree that brooding outdoors isn't optimal - it is. But it does require some extra considerations vs brooding indoors, such as dealing with greater temperature variance, weather conditions, etc.

Smothering is an issue with heat plates, which is why lamps are pretty much the only option for large batches like this (30 chicks is a lot). Even a large heat plate can only hold maybe 12 chicks, and it sounds like you only have the one?

Your brooder is small for the number of chicks which also contributes to smothering/crushing. If you want to raise this many chicks at once, having 2-3 brooders running would work better, so there's fewer bodies moving around in each space.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

March 5th.
HAPPY 1WK BIRTHDAY GALAXIES (yesterday lol)!!


Morning tempature is 39 degrees. I have to work today so checking on the Galaxies around 330 am. All is well. Everyone came out from under their boards to eat, drink and spread their wings a bit. Tempature inside the coop is 45 degrees. I left the lights on for them. Doors are shut. The husband will open them later.

Husband opened the door, messaged me that all appeared fine.

Lunch check, the Galaxies are running around happy as could be. Talk of moving them to the coop floor tonight is in the works. The above suggestion is correct. There is not enough space to brood this many chicks in my current brooder.

ESPECIALLY bc my husband just text me and told me he bought 6 more of what he THINKS are Barred Rocks. He knows I've been down abt the loses and wanted to surprise me!! bless him...he loves me.

Chick count 32.

Came home from an errand after work and moved all the Galaxies to the coop floor. Where they very much showed excitement and ran around flapping, and practiced climbing their ladder.


Went out and checked the Galaxies. They all sure do enjoy that food!! I am gonna introduce them to grass tomorrow, now that they are in their permanent brooding situation.

I have learned A LOT in the last wk. Even after reading and thinking through everything I could think of, there was (and is) still more to learn. Here's to hoping the worst is behind us!


Final night check on the Galaxies. All is quiet. I have learned to not turn the light on when this is so. I know they are all tucked under their little heat set up and snoozing.

For once I feel like I can sleep easy. I have increased their living space, improved their feeding situation so that they weren't crowding around that circle feeder stepping or standing on each other, and they now have a very spacious heat arrangement.

Tempature is 56 degrees, with a low of 46 tonight.

Sleep tight little ones!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

March 11th.
Morning wake up call happened a bit earlier today bc of time change and the fact I gotta be at work at 330. So its 130am and the Galaxies are all up running and feeding! Coop temp is 33 degrees. Outside temp is 41 degrees. After a quick 5 min read, under the boards is 80 degrees.

Lunch check coop temp is 50 degrees. Outside temp is 42 degrees.
Galaxies are happily playing. I lifted the back sides of their boards up abt another 3 inches. They are pretty level now, and I think this will get them through the next couple of weeks.

After work check.
All the Galaxies are well and acting normal. I've spent a good bit of time in their coop, hanging out with them. I love watching them. They are so funny, so daring!!! They are losing a lot of their down feathers and are starting to look kinda bare . Yet, the coop temp is 50 degrees. There is a slight breeze coming in from the screen door. (Top half not bottom) the outside temp is 46. The Galaxies aren't minding it. Some are sleeping on top of the rug that's on the heat boards, some are under. Some are coming and going while others are just out and about.

Threw a new chunk of dirt and clover in for them. There was a feast lol. The Galaxies didn't take long this time to head over to it and start to gobble it up!!

Watched as one of the Galaxies dust bathed while another picked bits off of it. They seem to have a nice little friendship going

The Galaxies are seeming to want to sleep on the outskirts of the heat boards. I am ok with it as I am letting them self regulate.

Turned the boards off for a little bit. I did a health check on everyone, just to check them over mainly. The Galaxies all seem perfectly perfect.

Boards went back on after the check!

644pm I'd say the time change has confused the Galaxies. They are all tucked in and it's still completely bright out. I am leaving the coop door open until the sun goes down so hopefully they'll realize there are longer days ahead!!

Outside temp is 43. Coop temp 50 degrees.


Side note*
Also, i believe I see red wattles showing up on this one!!! Fingers crossed!!!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

March 16th. 430am morning check. Galaxies are all accounted for. Coop temp is 45. Outside temp is 42 degrees. The Galaxies have their light on and they are running around wild and crazy, and I love it!

Went out to check on the Galaxies, all are well. Decided tomorrow imma let them start running on normal daylight hours. I'll open their coop like I do my bigs before work and close it up at sundown. The Galaxies will not be able to leave their coop before 330pm as i have to work...but they will get some sunlight!

Coop temp is 63, outside temp is 58. Let the Galaxies run around outside for abt 45min. They sure are venturing futher and further away from the coop. The seemed to enjoy their time even though it's a bit breezy out. Rain started to fall, so I scooted them back into the coop..

Heat boards were off for 2 hrs today just to cool off. Galaxies seemed unphased by the lack of heat as they are all over their coop. Went out to turn them back on and sat with them in the coop for abt 40 min or so.

Coop temp dropped to 55 with the rain. Outside temp is 51 with more rain on the way.

Galaxies are stuck in their coop for the rest of the day.

Night check coop temp is 55 degrees. Outside temp is 51 degrees. Low tonight is 33 degrees. All the Galaxies are tucked in but not under the boards, but happy. They always start like this and by morning they all seem to have made their way under the boards.

Goodnight little ones!

 

[Nero70002]

First I’d see if you have any accidental ones already in your flock

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

First I’d see if you have any accidental ones already in your flock

They are almost 5wks old...not seeing any signs of one, and have been looking pretty close. Barred Rocks are pretty easy to sex from my understanding. I don't have any that are looking like they are double barred, I also have none with red combs or wattles, also everyone seems to have black wash their legs.

 

[rosemarythyme]

We are supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow. In which case the Galaxies will remain in their coop.

Really no reason to lock them in if it's raining, unless it's a severe storm in the forecast - they'll learn to deal with weather conditions and decide for themselves when they need to take cover.

 

[rosemarythyme]

When I say "not everyone's ideal set up," I mean, size vs chick, outside vs inside, heating options etc. They won't remain in this for even 4wks, once they out grow it they will be moved. Currently they all are happy "flying" around and running from one end to another. My only other experience brooding chicks has been indoors for 5wks, in a plastic tote, with the heat plate. This is a new experience for me, and I don't have all the answers so I appreciate when people like you chime in and set out the preferences or a better idea. Honestly, brooding separate never occurred to me as silly as it seems so thank you for providing that idea. A second heat plate is on the agenda for tomorrow but I promise you they all do fit underneath it!

Yeah it does take a bit of extra work to set up for outdoors and it's not possible in all set ups (lack of electricity in the coop or run being #1), but I think once people try it, they tend to agree that it's so much easier brooding outside than in. For me, because my flock ranges in age, it's ideal as it allows me to integrate chicks in as early as possible.

If you don't plan on doing a large group of chicks for a few years after this, don't sweat the separate brooders at this time but if this is going to be an annual or every-2-years sort of thing, might be something to consider setting up as you will have use for it.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

March 4th. Went out at 3am. Temp is 34 degrees outside, coop was 39-40 degrees. As soon as the light came on, all of the Galaxies started coming out from under the heat plate. No heat lamp was used last night. I don't like heat lamps. I think too much, and don't sleep well when one is going.
The Galaxies are happy and hungry. I left the light on in the coop for them so they could be out playing and enjoy some light. Yesterday was such a dark and gloomy day, I think they are excited to have some light even if it's not natural. Should be able to open coop doors today.

Morning check at 8am, temp outside is 33 degrees. The Galaxies are all up and moving. Having a great time feeding their faces Lol. Coop doors are shut but lights are on for them.


I swore I'd make an honest account no matter how embarrassed by what happens or how "offended" I may get by someone's response. This is important to me, and I am hoping it's helpful to others in the future. I don't know what little bit of info I could possibly pass on, but even if someone learns from my mistakes .... ans I know if people comment suggestions/changes/things theyd do different to me they will help others as well.

So with all that said...I lost one more chick. She was likely failure to thrive as she was my little runt. She was NOT smothered. Just not healthy and this morning at my 3am check I brought her inside as I noticed she was not doing well. She was cheeping but not active...then she passed in the little box I made her for inside the house. She went from chirping to gone in like an hr.


Chick count 28

Went out to check the Galaxies after our first 2 morning basketball games. They all seem happy and healthy. Fluttering around, climbing on things. The coop temp read 59
Outside temp is 47. Doors are open.

Checked the Galaxies after our last basketball game. Temp in coop is 65. Temp outside is 53 degrees and sunny. I am watching the Galaxies jump/fly from roost to the floor over and over again. They are literally the best ever!!!! They will be jumping out of this brooder before I know it!!!


Went and spent some time cleaning up their brooder, attaching the wire top, and fixing the second heat plate in place. The Galaxies seem to now be afraid of their heat source but hoping that they warm up to it

plans to go check on them in a bit. Temperature outside is 49 degrees. Coop doors are shut.


Went out again, it's been 15min and all of the Galaxies except for 1 had found their spot under the heat plates. I helped the last one along, and 3 popped out....they were eating when I left, but I figure they found it before they can do it again.
Plans for one more check before bed.

Last and final check has revealed that all of the Galaxies have tucked in for the night.

Tempature is supposed to get down to 36 degrees tonight. I know that they can handle it.