Recent content by Nathan J

  1. Nathan J

    Chicken losing neck feathers.

    I've got a few that are molting now too. Same thing, pin feathers on the neck. They're Black Australorps and Golden Comets (sex linked RIRxDelaware) that are less than 10 months old. It's been sub zero at night lately so this seems less than great timing for this, and I didn't expect it...
  2. Nathan J

    Fermented Alfalfa Cubes How To

    Oh yeah, I totally get that. In that vein I gave them some comfrey today and low and behold they were going at it. Yippee!
  3. Nathan J

    Fermented Alfalfa Cubes How To

    I give my 7+ week old chicks fermented feed pretty much exclusively from day one and so was curious about this. I've tried it and they're very much uninterested. No big deal, as there's an abundance of greens now. I throw them a big cut of sod occasionally and cut and carry all kinds of...
  4. Nathan J

    Runt chick

    Thanks
  5. Nathan J

    Runt chick

    I've got a chick that is definitely not growing normally. She (presumably; sexed by the hatchery) is 3 weeks old today and is about half the size of her flock-mates. She's a Barred Rock. Overall I have 5 BR, 5 Black Australorps, 6 Golden Comets (a sex link from Cackle Hatchery). She isn't...
  6. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    Go figure. It's amazing the kind of nonsense people can be talked into believing against their own common sense. Try telling these people (staunch heat lamp advocates) that they should keep a light shining on their baby at night and it won't affect them and their development at all. See what...
  7. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    LOL, yep, I have a hard enough time counting my 16. Only the fact that 6 of them (Golden Comets) are distinctly different from the other ten (5 Australorps, 5 Barred Rocks) makes it feasible. They just scoot around too fast most of the time!
  8. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    Yeah, I did that when they were in the garage with 30-40 deg temps. That allowed the temperature in the (temporary) box brooder to get up in the 50s. That worked well for their first few days. But I certainly wouldn't do it if inside the house. The temp there is plenty warm enough.
  9. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    Well thank you for the compliment. I've always been a bit of a naturalist (I'm 53, so no spring chick!), and I've done a lot of gardening, composting, etc so I appreciate all that. Also I've learned a lot over the last several years about many things relating to humans (i.e. nutrition, our gut...
  10. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    I'm sure you're poking fun a bit, but I'll address it anyway. At this point it definitely isn't easier to just have them outside than to bring in a bucket of soil and a few pieces of wood. I definitely don't have a run that is accessible to the brooder and where I wouldn't have to monitor...
  11. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    I agree completely. The dampness of that particular spot won't hurt them. If the whole brooder had a damp floor then that would be a different case. They'll have a great time pecking away at that rotting log, searching for insects, etc. In fact I need to try to find a nice damp, rotting one.
  12. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    Take this for what it's worth, from another newby, but I think it's valid. Yes, you can ditch the paper towels. Mine were moved to shavings on day 4. Yes, they definitely want to be scratching around by now. Give them some sod yesterday! And more than just a clump, if possible. Give...
  13. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    One week old yesterday. Temp today was about 65 and they love that temp. Very active and out of MHP, and when it was time for a nap they all settled down on top of MHP. Then later in the evening when it got cooler they started to occasionally go under MHP again. Again, heating pad is on Low.
  14. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

  15. Nathan J

    Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

    As do I. Though I've only used it on Low since the start, after being rather slow to realize it was too warm for them on High, and then Med, in the first 24 hrs.
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