2018 Newbie Chat!

[Geranium]

Hi! I'm excited to be here! I have an order coming in mid September from My Pet Chicken, and those will be my first chickens. I ordered 2 Easter Eggers, 3 Australorps, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Lavender Orpington, and 1 Austra White (Australorp/Leghorn), all pullets. I can't wait to share pictures of my babies! Until then, I'm just gathering supplies, working on coop designs, and counting down the days!

 

[CannedMonster]

Hi! I'm excited to be here! I have an order coming in mid September from My Pet Chicken, and those will be my first chickens. I ordered 2 Easter Eggers, 3 Australorps, 2 Buff Orpingtons, 1 Lavender Orpington, and 1 Austra White (Australorp/Leghorn), all pullets. I can't wait to share pictures of my babies! Until then, I'm just gathering supplies, working on coop designs, and counting down the days!

Hello and welcome!
There’s a great community of people on this site.
I hope it’s helpful and encouraging to you.
Build your coop bigger than you think you’ll need because chicken math happens!
Wonderful breeds you’ve chosen.
Be sure to post pictures and share when your babies get there!

I highly recommend using a heat plate to brood chicks rather than a heat lamp.
I’ve used both and I’ll never go back to a lamp.
The benefits of them are many.

So excited for you!

 

[Geranium]

I'm definitely planning to use a heat plate for warmth, and not a lamp. I've heard such great things about the MHP method!

 

[CannedMonster]

I'm definitely planning to use a heat plate for warmth, and not a lamp. I've heard such great things about the MHP method!

You’ll be so glad you did.
I had planned to use it from the beginning of my chicken journey but I had chick fever bad this spring and bought my Naked Necks and 2 bantams from Tractor Supply before I bought the heat plate.
The batch of 12 chicks I have under the heat plate right now are much calmer and quieter.
I love that they have a normal night/day cycle too.
They’re feathering much faster also.

 

[BBZZZZTT]

I used MHP, I think I would try a heat plate though. MHP is nice that it is all snuggly and stuff but it gets very dirty very quickly. Plus I was always trying to make sure they couldn't get wedged or stuck under the heating pad.

The downside to heat plates being expensive I guess.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

My Brinsea heat plate was a fortune it seems. Paid for itself in how small our electric bill was during its use. I’ve used it on three batches of chicks and I couldn’t be happier with it!

 

[JMotuzick]

Happy with our pad as well, if you buy all new parts the plate is only about 10-20$ more then a MPH plus easy to set up and use and easy clean up. So happy with it I bought a second to loan out to who ever I’m splitting the order with!

 

[CannedMonster]

I used MHP, I think I would try a heat plate though. MHP is nice that it is all snuggly and stuff but it gets very dirty very quickly. Plus I was always trying to make sure they couldn't get wedged or stuck under the heating pad.

The downside to heat plates being expensive I guess.

I got mine off of Amazon for $75 and it’s a 12” x 12” Premier 1 (fits 20 chicks but I think it’s less than that as they grow) and the price includes the removable dome top so they can’t poop on the top of it.
But you can get a 10” x 10” (15 chicks) without the dome top for $50 on Amazon.
That size including the top is $63.
They have even bigger sizes too.

They’re just way safer and have so many benefits that it was a good investment IMO.
I ended up getting two so I could brood separate batches of chicks and be able to loan one out to friends.

 

[CannedMonster]

Happy with our pad as well, if you buy all new parts the plate is only about 10-20$ more then a MPH plus easy to set up and use and easy clean up. So happy with it I bought a second to loan out to who ever I’m splitting the order with!

I bought two heat plates also for the same reason lol.
I also wanted to be able to brood separate batches of chicks too.

 

[samzoost]

Greetings to all my fellow newbs!!!

I'm a 20 year old Minnesotan gal en route to living a homestead, permaculture life style. Moving out of the city, buying a piece of land and building my house, though, are far in the future and will take much time, money, planning and patience. So, I figured the best way to get my feet planted in my goals would be taking care of my own flock of hens...and I'm so stinking excited!

I just picked up my 4 babies, and they'll be one week old tomorrow. I've got an Ameraucana, a Golden Laced Wyandotte, a Buff Brahma and a Sapphire Gem. I love hearing their little chirps and watching them play around and snuggle with one another. I cant wait to watch them grow up

I have yet to build their coop, but I know I'll be making it big enough to hold 6 hens. I figured this would be my best bet, as once these girls get old and aren't producing eggs much any more I can get 2 more chicks and that'll hold me off until these first girls pass.

I'm excited to join this community and wish you all the best if anyone is in the Minnesota- Saint Paul/Minneapolis area and are interested in being a part of a permaculture system, or just would like to chat about our hens, I'd so love to connect!!

Peace and love to all! AND HAPPY ROOSTING!