Sdwd

[Yard full o' rocks]

Afternoon all!!

Spent my weekend "reworking" my brooder pens for my winter hatches. I took my 4 x 4 brooder, divided it in half, wired 2 light fixtures into it, one with a photo cell so if the main bulb goes out, the other comes on. Completely enclosed the heated side, covered half the other side with plexiglass to allow the sun in and covered the rest. Hoping all the efforts work as planned.

I took my 3x4 brooder and did basically the same. Heated area is slightly smaller, but used the same basic plan. Wasn't horribly cold here last night but it did get down to 24F. The larger brooder dropped to 86F at the lowest point, so I'm hoping with a little "body heat" from the babies that things should be ok.

Hope you all had a great weekend and a Happy New Year. I, for one, am REALLY GLAD to see 2010 come to a close and pray that 2011 will be a better year.

Off to chase a few job leads.....then a glass of wine and the Orange Bowl. Have a great evening

 

[X2Farm]

Hope yall are doin well!!

Scott, sounds like you got things done!!! Any chance for a picture of that setup?


If yall could, please say a prayer for DH. Things are not goin good at work, and without getting into the whole thing, upper management seems to be taking a project gone bad out on the workers, one of which is DH. He got called in early today. I hope this doesn't mean what we're both worried it means. Kinda frightening, not knowing.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
Will add you guys to my prayer list....currently unemployed myself I TOTALLY relate to the worry of job issues. Praying for the best for you and DH

Once I can find a camera (my dear children have borrowed it, kinda like my tools) I will get a pix and post it here. Its not fancy, but I think it will work.

 

[rancher hicks]

Yard full o' rocks :

Afternoon all!!

Spent my weekend "reworking" my brooder pens for my winter hatches. I took my 4 x 4 brooder, divided it in half, wired 2 light fixtures into it, one with a photo cell so if the main bulb goes out, the other comes on. Completely enclosed the heated side, covered half the other side with plexiglass to allow the sun in and covered the rest. Hoping all the efforts work as planned.

I took my 3x4 brooder and did basically the same. Heated area is slightly smaller, but used the same basic plan. Wasn't horribly cold here last night but it did get down to 24F. The larger brooder dropped to 86F at the lowest point, so I'm hoping with a little "body heat" from the babies that things should be ok.

g

I could use those pics too. Got or had 40 chicks and don't want to give them away if no one is willing to pay, so I need to grow them out. So far so good but need to make things bigger as they grow.

Snow will keep DH in prayer.

Rancher​

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Gloria, glad that you made it home safe. I am sure your chickens were happy to see you!

Scott, I hope and pray that a job will come thru for you.

Snowhunter, I hope and pray your DH's job is safe and that things will go well.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Ok....camera has been located and here are a few pix. Will try to describe a little above each pix. Let me know if you have any questions.

Here is a side shot of the entire brooder pen. It is 4' x 4' and approx 18" deep. I have it set up approx 30" off the ground so I don't have to bend over to get into it. The left side has a partial plexiglass cover (to allow sunlight in) and the balance is covered with plywood (less a small opening for ventilation)

Here is a close up view of the top left side

This is a shot of the interior of the LEFT side, small hole cut in back right corner to allow chicks to go from heated area to non-heated area (non-heated area is the left side)

Finally, the interior of the RIGHT side. All 4 sides are enclosed (except for the small opening to the left side). I mounted 2 closet type light fixtures (keyless, with NO pull chain) onto a 1 x 6 board and turned it sideways to mount it inside. It is approx 12" above the floor so the chicks can't touch the bulb. The fixtures are wired together and I used an eight foot, 16 guage, 16/2 replacement ext cord to wire with. In the fixture you see to the LEFT, I placed a screw-in type "dawn to dusk" photo cell. I will be placing a standard 250W bulb in this fixture. The fixture on the RIGHT will have a 250W clear brooder bulb. The "idea" is that should the bulb on the right burn out, thus causing this area to "dark" the bulb in the LEFT fixture will come on. Cost for 2 fixtures, 2 metal electrical boxes, ext cord and 1 photo cell was about $20 from Lowes.

As you might be able to see from the interior pix, the sides and top were covered in hardware cloth. I simply screwed the plywood OVER the screen so I can remove it later for Spring/Summer hatches.

Hope this helps.....lemme know what other questions you might have

 

[PepsNick]

Yard full o' rocks :

Ok....camera has been located and here are a few pix. Will try to describe a little above each pix. Let me know if you have any questions.

Here is a side shot of the entire brooder pen. It is 4' x 4' and approx 18" deep. I have it set up approx 30" off the ground so I don't have to bend over to get into it. The left side has a partial plexiglass cover (to allow sunlight in) and the balance is covered with plywood (less a small opening for ventilation)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_cimg2249.jpg

Here is a close up view of the top left side

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_cimg2250.jpg

This is a shot of the interior of the LEFT side, small hole cut in back right corner to allow chicks to go from heated area to non-heated area (non-heated area is the left side)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_cimg2251.jpg

Finally, the interior of the RIGHT side. All 4 sides are enclosed (except for the small opening to the left side). I mounted 2 closet type light fixtures (keyless, with NO pull chain) onto a 1 x 6 board and turned it sideways to mount it inside. It is approx 12" above the floor so the chicks can't touch the bulb. The fixtures are wired together and I used an eight foot, 16 guage, 16/2 replacement ext cord to wire with. In the fixture you see to the LEFT, I placed a screw-in type "dawn to dusk" photo cell. I will be placing a standard 250W bulb in this fixture. The fixture on the RIGHT will have a 250W clear brooder bulb. The "idea" is that should the bulb on the right burn out, thus causing this area to "dark" the bulb in the LEFT fixture will come on. Cost for 2 fixtures, 2 metal electrical boxes, ext cord and 1 photo cell was about $20 from Lowes.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/25882_cimg2252.jpg

As you might be able to see from the interior pix, the sides and top were covered in hardware cloth. I simply screwed the plywood OVER the screen so I can remove it later for Spring/Summer hatches.

Hope this helps.....lemme know what other questions you might have

Hey Scott! Wow, that looks great! Hard workin day. Did you get my PM?​

 

[X2Farm]

Appreciate the prayers yall. I guess now we have to wait till tomorrow for some kind of "decision" DH's supervisor threw him and one other guy under the bus

Seems doin the right thing can still getcha screwed, though there is something to be said for having ones integrity intact

Scott, I like the way you did that, great work

I got a new brooder built in the basement, and its full. I gotta get my broody OUT into the big coop with the rest of em, her chicks are old enough now, plus they're used to not having a heat lamp. I'm just worried about the babies and the rest of the flock, though Mama is still very much interested in her chicks. Guess I could move em out later tonight, when I turn everyones lights out for the night.

Then I gotta move Buffy into her spot, cuz something got her last night, I looked and couldn't find her come roosting time, or later, and this morning she's got a gash from one side of her neck completely around almost to her crop on the other side, over her back

She's in a plastic drawer in the living room right now, snoozing under the heat lamp. Got her cleaned up earlier, packed w/Neosporin. Fed her scrambled eggs, applesauce, w a couple drops of Polyvisol, mixed w crumbles. She even suprised me and laid her first egg after she ate

Poor Buffy

 

[kathyinmo]

Scott,
Here, I found a job for ya. $75,000. is the offer. You have to read the entire thread and try to figure it out though.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=433999&p=1

 

[NellaBean]

What the frig, I'm missing another chicken! The partridge bantam cochin went missing a few weeks ago, and today I noticed one of my blue brahma/cochins wasn't in the masses, so I looked tonight. NOTHING. No bird, nada. I had the dogs out with me and they didn't even find anything. It was after dark when I got home, so I had to go around with a flashlight...I'll take a better look in the morning.

How annoying. She is way too big to be carried off by a hawk. She is the same size if not larger than a hatchery LF cochin. I know, i compared the girls to my barred cochins the other day.


Grrrrrrrrr......I counted the rest of the chickens left in the big coop. 36. Went through my spreadsheet and that is correct. So she is the only one missing. I checked the rooster pen in case she got in there somehow, nope. Not in the mottled pen either. Not in the nesting boxes...I even opened up the back of the garage area where the hay and mower and fencing is. nada!

Where oh where are my chickens going? Sigh.

guess its time to turn the electric fencing back on this weekend.