5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[ronott1]

Are you hatching along for Easter?

How are your ___ x Penedesencas doing? Can't remember. Are they autosexing?

This hatch was. I may hatch more later.

They are very cute. I will work on getting some pictures.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 


Are you hatching along for Easter?

How are your ___ x Penedesencas doing? Can't remember. Are they autosexing?

This hatch was. I may hatch more later.

They are very cute. I will work on getting some pictures.

Would love some eggs from these if you have any available & I have anything you would like to swap for.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Hello fellow hatchers

I'm hoping some of you are still following this thread. I need some advice.

Temps here have been very cold. One of the longest winters on record...I'm sure it's not just here in VA.

The chicks are 8 weeks old today. At this age, I would have already had them outside without supplemental heat. But my last batch of chicks were born today last year, so they had 2 months inside...they didn't go out until April.

I'm gonna post the temps here for the week. I need to see if anyone can advise me if it's just going to be too darn cold to put them out in the coop WITHOUT supplemental heat. There are 5 chicks, fully feathered out, Barred Rocks. With them will go my mom's 2 Tolbunt Polish, which are 5 months old...I've had them in the brooder with my 5 chicks because it was too cold when we got the Polish a month ago to put them outside. Already in the coop are 2 Chocolate Orpington Bantams. FYI: There is no way for me to put heat out there...no electricity, and too far to run an extension cord, which I wouldn't do anyway for safety reasons.

TODAY: 48 Breezy
FRI: 33/17 Sunny
SAT: 44/23 AM Snow
SUN: 59/33 PM Rain
MON: 48/39 Rain Mix
TUES: 38/28 AM Snow
WED: 32/14 Sunny

 

[Avlana]

Hello fellow hatchers

I'm hoping some of you are still following this thread. I need some advice.

Temps here have been very cold. One of the longest winters on record...I'm sure it's not just here in VA.

The chicks are 8 weeks old today. At this age, I would have already had them outside without supplemental heat. But my last batch of chicks were born today last year, so they had 2 months inside...they didn't go out until April.

I'm gonna post the temps here for the week. I need to see if anyone can advise me if it's just going to be too darn cold to put them out in the coop WITHOUT supplemental heat. There are 5 chicks, fully feathered out, Barred Rocks. With them will go my mom's 2 Tolbunt Polish, which are 5 months old...I've had them in the brooder with my 5 chicks because it was too cold when we got the Polish a month ago to put them outside. Already in the coop are 2 Chocolate Orpington Bantams. FYI: There is no way for me to put heat out there...no electricity, and too far to run an extension cord, which I wouldn't do anyway for safety reasons.

TODAY: 48              Breezy
FRI:       33/17         Sunny
SAT:      44/23         AM Snow
SUN:     59/33         PM Rain
MON:     48/39         Rain Mix
TUES:    38/28         AM Snow
WED:     32/14         Sunny

My little 8 weeker is out there right now in the single digits and the teens and he's hacking it just fine He has his girls to snuggle up to. Plenty of fluffy bedding too.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

My little 8 weeker is out there right now in the single digits and the teens and he's hacking it just fine

He has his girls to snuggle up to. Plenty of fluffy bedding too.

How many girls? It is going to take some time for the bantams to warm up to the newcomers, so they will be separated inside the coop in a metal dog crate. Will the 5 chicks plus the 2 polish be enough birds to snuggle together for warmth???

 

[FeyRaine]

Hello fellow hatchers

I'm hoping some of you are still following this thread. I need some advice.

Temps here have been very cold. One of the longest winters on record...I'm sure it's not just here in VA.

The chicks are 8 weeks old today. At this age, I would have already had them outside without supplemental heat. But my last batch of chicks were born today last year, so they had 2 months inside...they didn't go out until April.

I'm gonna post the temps here for the week. I need to see if anyone can advise me if it's just going to be too darn cold to put them out in the coop WITHOUT supplemental heat. There are 5 chicks, fully feathered out, Barred Rocks. With them will go my mom's 2 Tolbunt Polish, which are 5 months old...I've had them in the brooder with my 5 chicks because it was too cold when we got the Polish a month ago to put them outside. Already in the coop are 2 Chocolate Orpington Bantams. FYI: There is no way for me to put heat out there...no electricity, and too far to run an extension cord, which I wouldn't do anyway for safety reasons.

TODAY: 48 Breezy
FRI: 33/17 Sunny
SAT: 44/23 AM Snow
SUN: 59/33 PM Rain
MON: 48/39 Rain Mix
TUES: 38/28 AM Snow
WED: 32/14 Sunny

It is more about them having gotten used to the lower temps step by step. For example mine have been outside 2 wks now, at first w/ heat 24/7 then at night only then none BUT we went up to 70F two days ago and then it dropped to 18F last night *so I put the heat lamp back on* b/c in my mind that was just too harsh a change 80+degrees drop in 48 hr . So as w/ everything else, the individual situation is more important than generic guidelines.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

It is more about them having gotten used to the lower temps step by step. For example mine have been outside 2 wks now, at first w/ heat 24/7 then at night only then none BUT we went up to 70F two days ago and then it dropped to 18F last night *so I put the heat lamp back on* b/c in my mind that was just too harsh a change 80+degrees drop in 48 hr . So as w/ everything else, the individual situation is more important than generic guidelines.

That's just not an option for me. There is no way for me to put them out in the coop while offering them some form of supplemental heat. When they go out there, it will be going from 70 degrees in the brooder to whatever the temp is outside.

 

[Avlana]

It is more about them having gotten used to the lower temps step by step. For example mine have been outside 2 wks now, at first w/ heat 24/7 then at night only then none BUT we went up to 70F two days ago and then it dropped to 18F last night *so I put the heat lamp back on* b/c in my mind that was just too harsh a change 80+degrees drop in 48 hr . So as w/ everything else, the individual situation is more important than generic guidelines.

I weaned my guy as well. I pulled the heat away. He got used to the downstair's temp, which runs 55-60. Then I moved him out in the garage which is basically the outside temps, then finally outdoors. He's only with two girls and the 3 of them are bantams. He's almost the size of the pullets, which they're a few months old. He's been doing surprisingly well. I just slowly weaned him. I've been keeping an eye on him. He's been doing great.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I expected mine to be outside long ago. I usually have them out from day one but not when it is well below freezing. This year was brutal. They've been in a 50F cellar and have been without heat since they were a month old. But there are 33 of them. I would have had them outside 2 weeks ago but I had to butcher enough roosters to empty the brooder/bachelor house. The pullets went out yesterday and hopefully the cockerels will go out today if I can get their side of the building ready. It will be into the single digits and teens for another week so for about 4 days, I'm hanging a 150watt ceramic heat element on each side till they acclimate.

 

[FeyRaine]

That's just not an option for me. There is no way for me to put them out in the coop while offering them some form of supplemental heat. When they go out there, it will be going from 70 degrees in the brooder to whatever the temp is outside.

I understand about not having options for electrical outdoors. Can you start weaning them from the heat while still indoors? Get them ok w/ the house temp, then the coldest place in the house? Poss even close the heat vents to a room or closet so it gets colder than the rest of your house, or of course if you have a basement or garage that makes it easier. But overall I wouldn't risk more than a 10-15 degree temp drop at this size/age. If they are just too horrible stinky indoors what about doing outdoors during the day and indoors at night to at least spare them the worst of the cold over the next couple of weeks, I did that w/ mine too, they had a false start being moved outside when we got a warm spell then the first "polar vortex" hit and they came back inside. This winter has been extra difficult on everyone, and birds this size/age are just plain nasty indoors I hope you can work out some sort of creative solution, if they must go out you could try putting some heated bricks in w/ them when you go to bed at night, again just something to give a little boost to the overnight temps if they are way below freezing. Good Luck!