7th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[Saris]

I'd love to join you, but I think I will just follow along for now. 

For those of you in colder climates, what do you do with the chicks once they hatch?  Do you raise them indoors?  I have no problems hatching them indoors, but with numerous allergy and asthma sufferers in our household, there is no way we could tolerate raising chicks indoors.  And, with outside temps here getting to -30 degree with the windchill, I'm not sure I would dare even keep chicks in the garage or well insulated barn.  Any advice, or do I just need to wait until spring?

There is a method for outdoor brooding even in the cold but it takes some prep work. As long as you could power a heat source, having them in a garage or barn would be fine. You just need to keep them warm, dry, feed, and watered they can kinda be kept anywhere. As long as their area is warm it doesn't matter the temp outside.

Edited to add: WELCOME!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

I'd love to join you, but I think I will just follow along for now. 

For those of you in colder climates, what do you do with the chicks once they hatch?  Do you raise them indoors?  I have no problems hatching them indoors, but with numerous allergy and asthma sufferers in our household, there is no way we could tolerate raising chicks indoors.  And, with outside temps here getting to -30 degree with the windchill, I'm not sure I would dare even keep chicks in the garage or well insulated barn.  Any advice, or do I just need to wait until spring?

Hey there and welcome! Doesn't get quite as cold here in PA as all that, here is some advice I was given years ago from a BYCer who lives in Maine and hatches in winter:

 

[ronott1]

Crud, ok. That's a bit much.

But seriously, I thought I remember seeing something about a minimum number of eggs to set. And I remember seeing a list of some of the contests they were going to do..

Was that the last years new years hatch along that I'm thinking of? (i looked at that the other day, so maybe I'm getting them confused)

That is the contest rules for the best hatch rate:

1. Best Hatch Rate
First Prize: Hatching eggs from @RavynFallen or drawing from @Peep-Chicken
Second Prize: BYC 2015 Calendar

participants will need to be setting a minimum of 6 eggs​

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These can be under broodies or in your incubators. Send @ronott1 a pm letting him know how many you will have cooking. We'll need that info​

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by the 3rd of Jan at the latest​

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to be included in the contest. When the hatch is over,​

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you'll take a pic and post it to show us how many​

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you actually hatched.​

The picture must be of sufficient quality to count all the chicks.​

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In the event of a tie, the one who hatches the most chicks wins.​

I will get the next contest up soon--that one will be the funky chick hatched contest.

 

[CGilbert]

. You are way too silly. Do you show your Marans?
Just keep going back to the 1st post. Easy to find and gets updated as contests are added. Looks like the 'Best Hatch Rate' requires a minimum of 6 eggs.

Thank you! For some reason I didn't see that when I looked the other day. Thank you!!!

 

[ronott1]

I'd love to join you, but I think I will just follow along for now.

For those of you in colder climates, what do you do with the chicks once they hatch? Do you raise them indoors? I have no problems hatching them indoors, but with numerous allergy and asthma sufferers in our household, there is no way we could tolerate raising chicks indoors. And, with outside temps here getting to -30 degree with the windchill, I'm not sure I would dare even keep chicks in the garage or well insulated barn. Any advice, or do I just need to wait until spring?

Welcome!

I have added you to the members list.

It is not super cold here but I keep them in the house for a week or two and then they go into the garage. When big enough, they go outside.

 

[Cynthia12]

Sure why not.. That Means I need to start collecting some eggs

 

[BullChick]

I'd love to join you, but I think I will just follow along for now.

For those of you in colder climates, what do you do with the chicks once they hatch? Do you raise them indoors? I have no problems hatching them indoors, but with numerous allergy and asthma sufferers in our household, there is no way we could tolerate raising chicks indoors. And, with outside temps here getting to -30 degree with the windchill, I'm not sure I would dare even keep chicks in the garage or well insulated barn. Any advice, or do I just need to wait until spring?

The windchill doesn't matter because the chicks shouldn't be exposed to the wind. As they feather out, you raise the heat lamp more and more. Eventually turning off during the day, then the night. If you can open a window to allow the room to cool off some, or put them on an enclosed porch, they will get used to the cold. Then when you think it's time (even I have trouble with this part, and I will be bothering Blarney and other PA people in a few months!) put them outside in the cold cruel world.

Quote: I don't know how you don't get that cold. I remember it was like that here in February.

 

[trailrider330]

The windchill doesn't matter because the chicks shouldn't be exposed to the wind. As they feather out, you raise the heat lamp more and more. Eventually turning off during the day, then the night. If you can open a window to allow the room to cool off some, or put them on an enclosed porch, they will get used to the cold. Then when you think it's time (even I have trouble with this part, and I will be bothering Blarney and other PA people in a few months!) put them outside in the cold cruel world.

I don't know how you don't get that cold. I remember it was like that here in February.

True. I know windchill does not matter since they are not in the wind, but air temps here can easily still get down to negative 10 degrees. Even with a heat lamp, how cold is too cold to have chicks outside in a brooder? I have never purchased or hatched chicks prior to April due to the temperatures here. I am just wondering if it is even worth thinking about hatching chicks in the dead of winter where I live.

 

[cree57i]

True. I know windchill does not matter since they are not in the wind, but air temps here can easily still get down to negative 10 degrees. Even with a heat lamp, how cold is too cold to have chicks outside in a brooder? I have never purchased or hatched chicks prior to April due to the temperatures here. I am just wondering if it is even worth thinking about hatching chicks in the dead of winter where I live.

This is a picture of my outside brooder. It has only been 22 as a low here so far, but they were toasty. I used plastic and an old shower curtain liner. The run they are in is surrounded with plastic on the open areas in an outside shed. They have a heat lamp. The ones in there now are 3 weeks old and have been out about 2 weeks. I keep them in the house for first week with a heat plate.

.

 

[bamadude]

. You are way too silly. Do you show your Marans?
Just keep going back to the 1st post. Easy to find and gets updated as contests are added. Looks like the 'Best Hatch Rate' requires a minimum of 6 eggs.

I showed some to my neighbor. He stole 3 later that night.