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

[ronott1]

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!

If they have all of their feathers, they will be ok outside. They will huddle up and keep warm. Their combs should be big enough now too.

Mine are in the Garage without heat. I took the Eco Glow out when they were 5 weeks old and moved them to the Garage at 6 weeks old.

I sure hope the Polar Vortex goes away completely soon. Out here in California, It has stopped influencing the weather so we will have a normal march--about two inches of rain maybe. That will give us about 30% of normal rainfall for the year.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I took the ecoglow out at 2 or 3 weeks, and they have been in 70-75 degree temps ever since (the den temperature fluctuates...which is where the brooder is...based on when the sun hits that side of the house and if/when we run the woodstove, which is in the same room). I thought about taking them out during the day, then bringing them back in at night, but I worry about such a drastic change in temperature every day. I just don't know what to do. I don't really have any room in the house to move the brooder...the den is it. And as for a garage, don't have one. Only outbuildings are a shed (which is packed full of my parent's belongings), two coops, and a goat shed. None with electric (except the shed, but like I said, no room cuz of my parent's stuff).

I guess I'm pretty much screwed, huh?

 

[ronott1]

I took the ecoglow out at 2 or 3 weeks, and they have been in 70-75 degree temps ever since (the den temperature fluctuates...which is where the brooder is...based on when the sun hits that side of the house and if/when we run the woodstove, which is in the same room). I thought about taking them out during the day, then bringing them back in at night, but I worry about such a drastic change in temperature every day. I just don't know what to do. I don't really have any room in the house to move the brooder...the den is it. And as for a garage, don't have one. Only outbuildings are a shed (which is packed full of my parent's belongings), two coops, and a goat shed. None with electric (except the shed, but like I said, no room cuz of my parent's stuff).

I guess I'm pretty much screwed, huh?

No! Chin up!

They will be fine. Chickens have thousands of feathers and do very will at very cold temperatures.

 

[FeyRaine]

I took the ecoglow out at 2 or 3 weeks, and they have been in 70-75 degree temps ever since (the den temperature fluctuates...which is where the brooder is...based on when the sun hits that side of the house and if/when we run the woodstove, which is in the same room). I thought about taking them out during the day, then bringing them back in at night, but I worry about such a drastic change in temperature every day. I just don't know what to do. I don't really have any room in the house to move the brooder...the den is it. And as for a garage, don't have one. Only outbuildings are a shed (which is packed full of my parent's belongings), two coops, and a goat shed. None with electric (except the shed, but like I said, no room cuz of my parent's stuff).

I guess I'm pretty much screwed, huh?

No they can be fine, what about the goat shed at night (goats make body heat in the shed I'm sure, (something like a rabbit cage would keep goats & birds separated)? At night they will huddle so they can be in a smaller space, w/ straw hold their body heat if they are not on a perch. You just need to figure a setup that will allow them to huddle during the coldest times w/o anyone getting squashed, and if it is super extream like polar vortex way below zero type thing then a coupe heated bricks to huddle around will help moderate things for several hours at a time.

Also making sure they go to bed having eaten well and w/o any way water can spill on them is important. I'm sure you can figure out a setup to off set the cold w/o electric. The temps you listed are doable, it is the folks going into neg. teens etc. again this week who will be in real trouble if their birds aren't used to it.

I did the extra heat again last night for mine partly b/c they are way size different , there is one who is pre NYDH , 3 who were Jan15th from tiny pullet eggs, & 4 in between, if they huddle too much the 3 tinies will get smashed, and I have the luxury of an outdoor brooder beside an electrical outlet which is a 1st for me. Your birds can go outside and be fine, you just need to think of your best plan , like better to start them out in the day and the temps will drop slowly over several hrs rather than 70F house to outside after dark and 40degree drop in 90seconds. See there is plenty you can do to make it best possible in your situation.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

One of the NYD cockerels started crowing in the cellar about 4 days ago. WAAAY past due for them to be out. It's getting near zero a couple nights next week.

 

[chickengirl1193]

Yeah this weather is horrible I have mine in a shed with electric and it has 2 heat lamps in the corner because we are getting to negative 8 tonight but on the milder nights they sleep on the opposite side from the lights. After the next few nights in teens imgonna do only one light on only at night then not at all.
On a different note my 4 LF pullets do great with nothing in this weather!

 

[msladyhawke]

One of the NYD cockerels started crowing in the cellar about 4 days ago. WAAAY past due for them to be out. It's getting near zero a couple nights next week.

I'm getting antsy to get mine out too. Way to many chicken pens in my basement because of this darn weather. I've got some attempted crowing too, LOL.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 
One of the NYD cockerels started crowing in the cellar about 4 days ago. WAAAY past due for them to be out. It's getting near zero a couple nights next week.

I'm getting antsy to get mine out too. Way to many chicken pens in my basement because of this darn weather. I've got some attempted crowing too, LOL.

I lucked out. I sold every chick I had available from Nov to first week of Feb in 1 sale...except 1 late hatcher who popped out the day after all of the others were picked up. That lone chick was extremely quiet & snuggled a bathpuff momma until 3 days ago when it went into the broodrr with the 10 broilers I picked up Tues. She peeped like mad for the first couple hours until she realized they were just like her. Now she stays right in the little pool that she is able to look right over the side of because she has friends in there...lol

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Well, I bit the bullet and put the chicks out yesterday. Our high was in the 40's, but the sun was shining, and the movable pen is right in direct sun. So they spent the day in the pen, then I put them in the coop (in a dog cage) with the bantams. I think we dipped into the high 20's or low 30's overnight. I went out this morning to make sure everyone survived the night, and yep! All perky and skittish as usual

Today is going to be in the 60's, 30's over night, but tomorrow night we drop to 6 degrees, and tomorrow during the day the high will only be in the low 30's, with a wintry mix.

Is that too cold for them? Am I going to have to bring them back indoors for the 6 degree night tomorrow night???

 

[chicken pickin]

Well, I bit the bullet and put the chicks out yesterday. Our high was in the 40's, but the sun was shining, and the movable pen is right in direct sun. So they spent the day in the pen, then I put them in the coop (in a dog cage) with the bantams. I think we dipped into the high 20's or low 30's overnight. I went out this morning to make sure everyone survived the night, and yep! All perky and skittish as usual

Today is going to be in the 60's, 30's over night, but tomorrow night we drop to 6 degrees, and tomorrow during the day the high will only be in the low 30's, with a wintry mix.

Is that too cold for them? Am I going to have to bring them back indoors for the 6 degree night tomorrow night???

I think they will be fine. Its worse to bring them out then in then out they need to get used to it. just add lots of shavings maybe even some hay to snuggle down in. How many chicks do you have?

I really need to get my chicks outside too. I have 10 downstairs and they are getting a little crowded.