Quote:Originally Posted by peepblessed 
Lovely!!
I live in the CA mountains. Gets down in the teens here. I hatch all winter. They will go out side at about 7 weeks and have a light for about a week. Then nothing... Haven't lost one yet. I do small hatches as I understand that too many piling on top of each other can cause some suffocation of the smaller ones. Also my home gets down in the 50's at night so they are used to some cold. I turn the light out at night at 4 wks. indoors. It helps build their feathering.
So it sounds like you keep them inside at first. I do that when I buy chicks that are already 3 days old. I was wondering if they would be ok outside in my coop. It seems like chicks that are hatched by my silkie in the coop are more readily accepted by the other chickens rather than introducing them later. Much more drama and stress that way. Like I said I can heat my coop up very nicely. I put one of those flat panel heaters in it with a theromostat. And lights and plugs and fans and a timer.
( Everything has to have lights and plugs when you're an electrician!) Now I just need muzak.
Anyway, now Im wondering too, if I should just stick with bantams from now on (?) Thats kind of what I was leaning towards. Im afraid now if I get full size chickens they will pick on my little silkie. I just have to see how my Russian Orloff Rooster will do with my newer baby silkie for a while. Im hoping that if he doesnt pick on her too much that would be a good sign that I could get some more bantams, tho I would love to get a golden laced Wyandotte. I had a silver laced one named Millie that passed away and she was a sweetheart. I cant say that for my buff Wyandotte that turned out to be a rooster. At 4 months he became a problem when he started trying to jump on my white silkie. Thats why I started to suspect he was a rooster and I posted his pic on here and it was confirmed. BOO HOO its a ROO! Fortunately I found a home for him yesterday. He was supposed to be a hen, and so was my Russian Orloff. Im too attached to him tho, and Im keeping him so Im praying that he will be a mellow rooster. None of my older Barred Rocks are picking on my new bantam Easter Egger, but one does pick on my new silkie a bit. Its not too bad, the silkie just avoids that one and she doesnt chase her so its managable. Its like a soap opera trying to figure everyone out. Would trying to hatch 6 new bantams be too many at once?
Lovely!!
I live in the CA mountains. Gets down in the teens here. I hatch all winter. They will go out side at about 7 weeks and have a light for about a week. Then nothing... Haven't lost one yet. I do small hatches as I understand that too many piling on top of each other can cause some suffocation of the smaller ones. Also my home gets down in the 50's at night so they are used to some cold. I turn the light out at night at 4 wks. indoors. It helps build their feathering.
So it sounds like you keep them inside at first. I do that when I buy chicks that are already 3 days old. I was wondering if they would be ok outside in my coop. It seems like chicks that are hatched by my silkie in the coop are more readily accepted by the other chickens rather than introducing them later. Much more drama and stress that way. Like I said I can heat my coop up very nicely. I put one of those flat panel heaters in it with a theromostat. And lights and plugs and fans and a timer.
Anyway, now Im wondering too, if I should just stick with bantams from now on (?) Thats kind of what I was leaning towards. Im afraid now if I get full size chickens they will pick on my little silkie. I just have to see how my Russian Orloff Rooster will do with my newer baby silkie for a while. Im hoping that if he doesnt pick on her too much that would be a good sign that I could get some more bantams, tho I would love to get a golden laced Wyandotte. I had a silver laced one named Millie that passed away and she was a sweetheart. I cant say that for my buff Wyandotte that turned out to be a rooster. At 4 months he became a problem when he started trying to jump on my white silkie. Thats why I started to suspect he was a rooster and I posted his pic on here and it was confirmed. BOO HOO its a ROO! Fortunately I found a home for him yesterday. He was supposed to be a hen, and so was my Russian Orloff. Im too attached to him tho, and Im keeping him so Im praying that he will be a mellow rooster. None of my older Barred Rocks are picking on my new bantam Easter Egger, but one does pick on my new silkie a bit. Its not too bad, the silkie just avoids that one and she doesnt chase her so its managable. Its like a soap opera trying to figure everyone out. Would trying to hatch 6 new bantams be too many at once?
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