2018 Newbie Chat!

[hennypenny18]

You may need to nudge them under with your hand and keep them in there for a minute just so they learn it's warm. Once they realize it's warm under there they'll go in and out as needed. I used MHP!

@Spryght the thermometer isn't really necessary as it doesn't give an accurate reading under the MHP. MHP is meant to warm the chicks that touch against the heating pad, not warm up the ambient temp in the cave. All the temp guidelines for chicks is not really applicable with MHP.

Is there somewhere I can read up on the type of heating method?

 

[Spryght]

Is there somewhere I can read up on the type of heating method?

There is a whole thread on the Mama Heating Pad.

 

[Spryght]

So cute! Are they not taking to the MHP? This is the method I will be using so I’m very interested in your concerns

At first they weren't so keen on it. Just checked on them and at least 2 have figured out, so I'm sure the rest will too.

 

[Spryght]

@Spryght the thermometer isn't really necessary as it doesn't give an accurate reading under the MHP. MHP is meant to warm the chicks that touch against the heating pad, not warm up the ambient temp in the cave. All the temp guidelines for chicks is not really applicable with MHP.

I know the thermometer isn't really an accurate way to measure the mhp, just tells me at a glance that the thing is still on. I was not 100% sure that the heating pad that I got did not have the auto-off feature. It's been on all day though, so it's good. Thanks.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

Hey everyone!
Since I an now gonna keep my remaining 6 hens, my mom is gonna get her own chicks.
She needs help picking out breeds!
She likes bantams but is leaning towards standard size for egg production.
So if anyone has suggestions of good laying bantams...

I think she should get bantam EE so she can have mini versions of what you have!

 

[CannedMonster]

@ChooksNQuilts Oh boy look at those big boys’ legs, they look like tree trunks they’re so big! I’ve loved watching your group grow, I’m sure I’ll have myself some NN in no time thanks to falling in love with your sweet babies! They look so happy

Aww thank you! You’re so sweet
Yes I’m excited for you to get some!
There’s a couple of hatcheries that offer them, I think.
I know mine aren’t SQ or anything but it doesn’t matter because each one is so different.
Originally we were going to put any NN boys we got in the freezer but after raising them I just can’t.
We will have to rehome them though.
I think I can find someone around here that wouldn’t mind a fine looking Turken roo
The brown one is rather aggressive though. He has been from the beginning. Hopefully he’ll settle down when he’s older and his hormones calm down.
Here he is grabbing Hector by his wattles a couple of weeks ago...

Two boys out of six NN isn’t bad!
I hand picked them myself at the TSC.

Bubelah is kind of aggressive too but not as bad as the brown guy. Notice in the pictures he/she’s right there next to brownie lol.
My two girls are very sweet. Especially Emily, she’s actually pretty skittish and scares easily. She looks like she’s wearing a feather boa in this photo lol.
I love it and made it my avatar

 

[CannedMonster]

Hey everyone!
Since I an now gonna keep my remaining 6 hens, my mom is gonna get her own chicks.
She needs help picking out breeds!
She likes bantams but is leaning towards standard size for egg production.
So if anyone has suggestions of good laying bantams...

As far as I know the bantams that lay fairly well are the small versions of LF like bantam Plymouth Rocks (barred, white, etc), Brahmas, EE and Leghorn.

 

[CannedMonster]

Hello everyone! I have been following this thread for awhile now, ever since we decided to dive into the world of backyard chickening (a couple of months now). We get our baby chicks next week!! I ordered 8, and we will be keeping 6 max. If hatch day goes well, we will be receiving a Swedish Flower hen (1), Olive Egger (1), B/B/S Favaucana (2), Easter Egger (1), B/B/S Americauna (1), Black Copper Marans (1), and Welsummer (1). We will be building the coop from HGTV with the free plans, that I found on here thanks to another member sharing! We have predator proofed the base with hardware cloth and will be buying lumber on Saturday to finally start!

Our brooder is ready to go. We will be going the MHP route, everything is tested and ready to go. I’ve built up a chick first aid kit, I have nutridrench, probiotics, wound spray, corrid... trying to be prepared for anything. This forum has been a WEALTH of knowledge. I truly appreciate everything I’ve learned here (and there’s still so much more to learn!) and my newest favorite pastime is scrolling through pictures of everyone’s babies Can’t wait to share my own!

Welcome!
Glad you’re here. Sounds like you’re going to have one beautiful flock there

Please do share pics as they grow!
I’m planning on doing a heat plate with my next batch of chicks and brood them right out in the coop.
SO much easier!
Using a heat lamp has made it difficult to get my littles used to the dark at night.
Thankfully it’s been warm enough the last couple of weeks that I haven’t had it on so now they’ll be used to nighttime when they go out the the growout coop soon.

 

[CannedMonster]

New flock home and everybodies found food and water. Still not sure about the mama heating pad though.View attachment 1383658

Edit to add: They have names now. Chocolate, Marshmellow, Cheesecake and Cookie.

Don’t you love the puppy pads!
I had some leftover from when we didn’t have a pet door for the dog and they worked great for the chicks the first couple of weeks.
After that I noticed they were scratching them up too much and I didn’t want them to eat the material.
Love your candy-dessert names!!

 

[No More Empty Nest]

BBZZZZTT's Mom here. So Anna is now Kristoph...I always thought he had awfully big feet, I called them turkey feet, lol.
Now I get to raise my own from the start! I'm leaning towards bantams. I have a picture of my Mom when she was young holding her pet bantams. My aunts would always laugh about them, saying that they didn't know enough to come out of the rain unless she went out and took them to the coop. So in memory of her, I'll get bantams. Probably EE bantams. I like how their final appearance is such a surprise.
My coop is coming along, we have all the hardware cloth up on the run and buried around it. The window for the coop came in a few days ago. So we're ready to finish as soon as it stops raining long enough. It is amazingly hard work to build a coop!
Welcome to everyone new, I sure do love being here. There is sooo much information and great advice.