4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[coldupnorth]

Feathered chicks seem to be able to handle just about anything. I also live in MN and I just put out some newly fully feathered chicks when it was 10 degrees out. I felt bad for them and made sure they have plenty of bedding, but they all did just fine. As long as they have proper shelter and siblings to snuggle with, they can eaisly handle a MN winter. Good Luck with your first hatch!

I'm in Minnesota too and have been hatching and putting out newly feathered chicks into my coops. cochins1088 is right, they will be fine if they have good shelter and friends to stay warm with. The key is making sure they have plenty of food and unthawed water at their disposal. I like to add some vitamins to their water too to help with the little added stress of the cold. Keep the Silkies in the warmest place you can find since they are not a lover of cold.

*Yay for Minnesotans hatching in Winter - these chicks will be hardy!

 

[SleepyOwl]

Thanks guys! Do you add any heat at first? I guess I wouldn't worry so much if a hen hatched them outside, because they would be used to the temps. It just seems like going from being in the upper 60s in my basement, and then the next day out into Minnesota's Feb temps (even in a nice snug coop) would be harsh?

 

[coldupnorth]

Thanks guys! Do you add any heat at first? I guess I wouldn't worry so much if a hen hatched them outside, because they would be used to the temps. It just seems like going from being in the upper 60s in my basement, and then the next day out into Minnesota's Feb temps (even in a nice snug coop) would be harsh?

Mine go from the brooder in the house to a brooder in the insulated garage and then out to a coop. I try weaning them off the heat before I bring them to the coop. If we get into the deep -below weather, I will put out a heat lamp to add just a little extra warmth for them and the rest of my chickens.
*If yours go from house to coop, you might keep heat on them for a little while and slowly wean them off of it so it isn't too much of a shock.

 

[Mahonri]

My four week olds still have a heat lamp and I'm in PHOENIX!

Yesterday we had a record high temp (tied) at 82 degrees!

I'm putting some four day olds with a broody mama into a grow out pen without a heal lamp though.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

NO TSC in AZ. Maybe I need to open up a franchise or two....

Great Idea! and no heat lamp with 84 degree weather? Are you sure you wanna risk that? welcome aboar the Crazy Train, SirUlrichsMom & Sleepyowl!

 

[TMNfarm]

I'm in Minnesota too and have been hatching and putting out newly feathered chicks into my coops. cochins1088 is right, they will be fine if they have good shelter and friends to stay warm with. The key is making sure they have plenty of food and unthawed water at their disposal. I like to add some vitamins to their water too to help with the little added stress of the cold. Keep the Silkies in the warmest place you can find since they are not a lover of cold.

*Yay for Minnesotans hatching in Winter - these chicks will be hardy!

Good to hear!! I've been wondering when I can put the babies that are with my broody out into the coop... If you're on the North Shore, I'm even further north than you... Iron Ranger here!!! Will the rest of the flock and my rooster accept them??

 

[cochins1088]

Good to hear!! I've been wondering when I can put the babies that are with my broody out into the coop... If you're on the North Shore, I'm even further north than you... Iron Ranger here!!! Will the rest of the flock and my rooster accept them??

Depends on the chickens. Sometimes I can get away with it, sometimes I can't. I usually wait to introduce them when they are half the size of the adults, and before that, all thats separates them is a dog kennel panel so that they can see each other and interact. When you first introduce them, they'll get picked on. You'll probably see chickens bonking them on the head. You need to decide the violence level, if it gets to bad, then separate again. If the chicks are avoiding the older chickens and it's just a peck here and there, they'll be fine. The older chickens need to establish a pecking order, so you won't get out of that one. The chicks will figure out their place pretty fast and eventually everyone will get used to each other. As they grow, they'll be considered higher on the pecking order.

If a broody hen hatches, I have found that everyone is accepted right away as hers, and if the other chickens try to peck at them, momma hen will protect her babies. My rooster even helped raise them.

Good Luck.

 

[mstricer]

everyone!

Quote: Thanks, lol its fuller now, until some move to hatcher and we candle tomorrow or Friday, my son added quite a few of our own eggs and I am not sure they are fertile, ours have the O on them, he added two double yolkers and of course the "blue" eggs he thinks will hatch blue chickens LOL PLUS we added 7 duck eggs for the NYDhatch and she sent along at least 6 olive egger eggs too!! LOL we will have serama hatching this weekend!! YAYA!!!
Does he think chocolate milk comes from...brown cows?

Funny you asked!!! Poppop was here on Sunday and had this conversation with him! Showed de Poppop who was the man..... "Poppop, everyone knows there ARE brown cows and strawberry milk is made from food coloring!! LOL
Nice

Well my uncle who I' will visiting on Sunday says I can take all the eggs he has collected for the last few days and up to Sunday to help fill my incubator on the 11th. My hens are preforming so poorly I didn't even know if I would get a bakers dozen.

So I'm going to pack that incubator as full as I can and see what happens on 1/1/13! Of course his flock is so mixed that I've no clue what will pop out chick wise. Oh well I will put them on Craigslist as special NYD baby chicks and see if they sell for spring egg layers.

Quote: Mine go into lockdown tonight. I have RC RIR and Aruacana

Quote: Yes they will.

My four week olds still have a heat lamp and I'm in PHOENIX!

Yesterday we had a record high temp (tied) at 82 degrees!

I'm putting some four day olds with a broody mama into a grow out pen without a heal lamp though.

You have heat on still? It was 24* degrees when I got up. I am still thinking about putting my 6 week olds out to the coop. I will probably put a heat lamp on them though.

 

[mstricer]

Hey guys, I'm trying to figure out how many folks have joined the hatch-a-long, from across the Border. I want to give them an opportunity to win some prizes other than hatching eggs from the contest that has hatching eggs.. One of the things I'm considering is an Across the Border contest open to those that are in the areas where eggs can't be sent. This would also include Hawaii, and Alaska (not sure if we can ship there, assuming if we can, they can claim the eggs at a warmer time of year) What do you all think?

 

[mrheinz77]

We can ship to Alaska. I sent 80 eggs the beginning of Oct. The customer had a 52% hatch rate