ALABAMA!!

[JDchicks]

I have moved my Brahmas outside, if it gets below 45 degrees then I move them inside the big barn at night. But I took away their heat lamp a couple of weeks ago. But I am right there with you, my bill was almost 500 this past month also. Of course, silly me has three other batches with heat lamps right now and another hopefully this weekend.

 

[Tomtommom]

Have used hay, leaves and pine straw. I find they all work about the same. It makes it better for a few days until they stomp all of it ino the mud and then you need more. The more mud and more chickens the more often you need to apply.

We used leaves too, they like to shred them up, which is ok. I raked the whole run the other day, which is probably why it's nothing but muck..... I'm slipping and sliding trying to get to the coop. Guess I best rake my 'lawn' and put leaves back in the run.

I had hoped you would tell me hay would work magic. Oh well, not having to buy anything is nice too.

 

[Tomtommom]

have 9 brahmas. Born nov 22. Im also heating my home on the $480 power bill. But this is as high as it has ever been. Do yall think they will be ok at this age to cut off heat lamp at night? Its a very drafty semi- open coop (ugliest ive ever seen).

They should be fully feathered by now. I would cut the light, unless it gets REALLY cold, especially since they never had a chance to adjust to cold (just like animals will grow a winter coat, I'm sure chickens physically adjust to colder temps if you allow them to acclimate). When we had all that snow and single digit temps, I put my light on... my adult birds were shivering

If you're concerned about things being too drafty use a tarp or some cardboard. I have a semi-open coop and have had a tarp and cardboard. I liked the cardboard better... the tarp kept out the sun during the day so it never warmed up. The cardboard only sectioned the roosts off, so the rest of the coop could warm up some.

 

[bamadude]

They should be fully feathered by now. I would cut the light, unless it gets REALLY cold, especially since they never had a chance to adjust to cold (just like animals will grow a winter coat, I'm sure chickens physically adjust to colder temps if you allow them to acclimate). When we had all that snow and single digit temps, I put my light on... my adult birds were shivering

If you're concerned about things being too drafty use a tarp or some cardboard. I have a semi-open coop and have had a tarp and cardboard. I liked the cardboard better... the tarp kept out the sun during the day so it never warmed up. The cardboard only sectioned the roosts off, so the rest of the coop could warm up some.

it is surrounded by tarps. But its up on cinder blocks. The bottom is mostly hardware cloth. I put 2 old sofa cushions under it to help.

 

[bamadude]

I have moved my Brahmas outside, if it gets below 45 degrees then I move them inside the big barn at night. But I took away their heat lamp a couple of weeks ago. But I am right there with you, my bill was almost 500 this past month also.  Of course, silly me has three other batches with heat lamps right now and another hopefully this weekend. 

which other chicks do u have? We got the same brahmas. U should see the roos. They have greenish-blue feathers on white. They are cool birds. My wife is hoping tsc has ees, bcms, and some type of white large egg layer.

 

[Tomtommom]

which other chicks do u have? We got the same brahmas. U should see the roos. They have greenish-blue feathers on white. They are cool birds. My wife is hoping tsc has ees, bcms, and some type of white large egg layer.

TSC has carried EE's in years past. Didn't see them last year, but they had them the year before that... we were still in the research phase back then. They don't generally have bcms, but I believe there's some breeders in the area that have those. Large white egg layer would likely be a leghorn, if they have them.

Also, they get different birds every week. So if they dont have what you want one week, check again the next week. They generally have one bin with ducklings and three bins with chicks.

 

[Bama1]

I kicked my Leghorns and Sulmtalers out in the cold two weeks ago. They hatched December 16-ish. Acclimated them for a week with no heat lamp except at night. Then out on their own. They are in a coop in the barn. Those two breeds feather VERY fast though so not every breed would be ready to go that soon.

 

[Tomtommom]

Basically, they carry whatever they can get cheaply from hatcheries. They sell their chicks for $1.99 to $2.99, so expect pretty common breeds (buff orps, australorp, RIR, plymouth rocks etc.)

 

[groleau6]

I don't know how to move a quote yet...so I'm going to wing it. (no pun intended)
Wisher, what kind of chicks do you have? I may be interested. As for a brooder and the proper names I am clueless, which you guessed. So the brooder is the step up from the hatching incubator thing? I still need a heat light for it though, so my babies don't get cold. (I know)
I know more than I did last week, and will be knowing more next week. I don't mind someone taking the time to teach me the proper terms and how to of it all.
Tomtommom, Montevallo is getting busy. TSC said they selling chicks starting at a dollar. Some of them are going to be sexed out too. Starting on Monday the 17th.
I only want to get them for laying eggs at this point, so that makes me happy. I do have a buddy who is already trying to give me his roos. I haven't even got the hens yet.

 

[Tomtommom]

I don't know how to move a quote yet...so I'm going to wing it. (no pun intended)
Wisher, what kind of chicks do you have? I may be interested. As for a brooder and the proper names I am clueless, which you guessed. So the brooder is the step up from the hatching incubator thing? I still need a heat light for it though, so my babies don't get cold. (I know)
I know more than I did last week, and will be knowing more next week. I don't mind someone taking the time to teach me the proper terms and how to of it all.
Tomtommom, Montevallo is getting busy. TSC said they selling chicks starting at a dollar. Some of them are going to be sexed out too. Starting on Monday the 17th.
I only want to get them for laying eggs at this point, so that makes me happy. I do have a buddy who is already trying to give me his roos. I haven't even got the hens yet.

They sell the chicks at a dollar when they've been in the store too long (a week or so) and they need the space for new babies. The way it works is that they get a shipment once or twice a week.. so the fun is going to check them out atleast once a week to see what they got

Don't call to ask what they have. They don't know (learned that quickly!). I live pretty close by... Oh, they do have the whole 6 chicks minimum, but last year I got 6 the first week and then 4 more the next week. I just told them I already bought some, they never gave me a hard time about it.

I know I need it. I've been pretty down lately (think it's the blasted hormones... 30 weeks pregnant. Stupid grey weather and the snow and the rain.... ARGH. I need happy things. Like chicks)

I will probably be living at TSC starting monday. *giggle*

Oh, btw, incubator is the thing that hatches chicks. Brooder is where the new chickies stay in for the first few weeks. Then they go to a grow-out pen (or the coop, if you dont have adult birds living in there). Some folks use a brooder for like 2 weeks, then move to something bigger, others keep their chicks in there longer. It really depends on space. Last year I had mine in a BIG moving box for the first 6 weeks. I had two babies in September/October that went outside at 3 weeks with a heatlamp, temps were still in the 70s at night. This year I got a big plastic tote.... we'll see how long they stay in there.

Tractor supply carries the heat lamps for under $10 and a two pack of red bulbs for $8. So really not bad. Feel free to throw questions at us. We love talking chicken.... and I am practically living in front of my computer right now

Once the babies start hitting the store, I will be posting here to tell you what they've got

The store in Chelsea had different chicks last year, by the way. They had buff orps, Montevallo never got those.