Recent content by TMBear

  1. TMBear

    Newbie - what's the breed?

    Thanks for your help. I didn't expect them to be prize-winning blue blood. They're chicken after all - enough for me to be happy. I'd be more happy if there're pullets among them, but they're still too young for the eggs.
  2. TMBear

    Newbie - what's the breed?

    Hi chicken-obsessed fellows! We've got eggs from our chicken-obsessed neighbor (chicken obsession comes from him as well). He assumes his initial chicken he got decades ago were of some specific breed, but he had to introduce fallen roosters from outside several times, so now he names the...
  3. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    It's a construction sand. It is a bit dusty when shoveled around but no dust when used as a bedding. The chicks started to dig it (scratch?), no visible dust. The thing I like about it is that it has a good variation of the grains so hopefully can be a source of grit. I tried to measure the air...
  4. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    The sand is straight out of the bag, no kids involved :) I'll try to take pictures and post them when I get home.
  5. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    I'll check the temperature, from the feel it probably varies 70-90 depending on the spot. I think the idea is like with the heater lamp - the temperature varies with the exact spot and chicks are free to chose where they feel comfortable. As with the heating lamp where they can go to the...
  6. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    I actually think the pad itself is more reliable than a light bulb - it doesn't burn out. I was actually having a problem finding a heat lamp for such a small setup - 250W is the minimum I saw, it'd turn such a small brooder into a grill. I ended up with an ordinary reflector lamp, but two of...
  7. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    It's from this topic: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update Basically, it's a homemade overhead heating contraption targeted to simulate a hen. Has various height so chicks can choose whatever is more comfortable for them and they can go...
  8. TMBear

    Chick death troubleshooting

    Hi guys, Yesterday I met my first major chick raising bump - 4 out of my 7 chicks died suddenly. brooder setup: a biggish plastic storage box, "mama heating pad", medicated food, fresh water (changed daily), sand for bedding. ~5 days old chicks, everything went very smoothly from day 1 (or...
  9. TMBear

    What batch did you stop to worry?

    Thanks guys, A bit of update - all 7 eggs hatched successfuly! Including the one I dropped and cracked all over, it looks like a miracle to me! One of the chick lacks some feathers (or whatever it is on fluffy chicks) on the back, I think it's the one I dropped. But it's active, started to eat...
  10. TMBear

    What batch did you stop to worry?

    Thanks guys for cheering me up! Yes, I think I'm a 100% typical first-time chicken owner. There should be some magic in those first eggs that make you emotionally attached to the ordinary soulless cookery items that maybe have a chance to turn into something more alive. My hatch hasn't...
  11. TMBear

    What batch did you stop to worry?

    Hi chicken-obsessed fellows, I believe most of us watched their first hatches with a lot of worry (a lot of postings here!), I'm not an exception. But I just wonder - does it happen every hatch or I will be able to sleep peacefully after Nth batch? I'm going through my first hatch and all...
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