Are My Girls OK?

[papschmitty]

We are totally new to chickens and just brought our girls home last Sunday. We have 4 black sex links that are 15 days old today. We have them in a brooder outside and I'm so worried about them being at a comfortable temperature. Our brooder is a plywood box with a flip-top lid that we only open to do chickie chores. We have it on our side deck, with the plexiglass front pushed up to our living room window so we can watch chick TV.

We live outside of Seattle but are in the midst of record low temperatures - it's forecast to be in the teens tonight and I don't think it's supposed to much above freezing for a few days. We put a couple extra beach towels over the top of the brooder and put extra sheets of plexiglass over the top and on the sides to protect from extra windy conditions. We have a 250 watt bulb in the front corner. I have a thermometer in there but the girls keep knocking it over and sleeping on it so I'm not confident that it's working correctly. It was showing 95 degrees right under the light. It's on the far side of the brooder now and it's showing between 65-75 degrees there. The girls spend most of their time sleeping just outside the zone right under the light. I'm assuming it's too warm directly under the light. They're not at the far end of the brooder either so I don't think it's too hot for them. They spend most of their time sleeping next to each other but get up regularly to eat, sleep and scratch around in the pine shavings. Is all this sleeping normal or is it a sign that conditions aren't right? Are they like human newborns that spend most of their time eating, sleeping and pooping? I'm tempted to bring them inside until things warm up a bit but my husband is really against it, especially since they seem comfortable to him. Am I just being a neurotic new mom or do I need to change our arrangements?

Thanks in advance for helping a newbie!

 

[easttxchick]

They do sleep a lot because they're growing so fast.
If you have an area reading 95 degrees, they should be OK under the heat lamp.

 

[Momagain1]

well from what mine do; they sleep under the light pretty much..its at 95 too..
however they all do pile on/around each other..its almost like they sleep
on top/really close to each other.

I think it sounds fine; but I'm new at this still...
you have nice warm heat at 95 available for them, plenty of room, room to get away from the heat
if they need. shelter from the cold, shelter/provisions for the drafts...

I'd leave be!

 

[Baymule]

You sound like a good chickie Mom!!

 

[papschmitty]

Thanks everyone! They survived another night and still seem to happy girls. They're trying to fly now. A couple will back up to one of the brooder walls, getting a running start and jump and flap their wings. So cute! We have family coming from out of town so the girls will get to hang out inside and show off all their chicken awesomeness for a while. While they're inside, we're going to removed the divider in the brooder to give them more space and put up a roost pole. There isn't much ventilation in the box so I might have my husband add a few vent holes near the top on the side that faces the house but, again, I'm concerned about them being too cold.

Here's another silly newbie question...when do they stop freaking out every time I have to do chicken chores? They still act like I'm going to kill them. Now they all try to fly and crash into the wall when I'm trying to clean poop out. I put a bowl of chick grit in the brooder this morning so maybe I'll try to buy their love with some treats later today.

 

[easttxchick]

Quote:
Handling them helps somewhat to keep them from looking at you like you're an ax murderer.
Anything coming at them from overhead scares the mess out of them-they think you're a giant treat-bearing predator.

 

[feather and mountain man]

It sounds like your doing a great job caring for them but don't be afraid to cuddle them too. Keeps them tame.

 

[papschmitty]

Will they get too cold if we bring them inside to cuddle? They wouldn't be under the heat lamp that way. I've brought them in a few times but it's always just a quick visit. My kids are little (4 and 2) and I'm paranoid that they're gonna squish the chicks. My 4 yr old daughter is pretty good my my 2 yr old son is a little on the wild side.

 

[FiveHens]

You can keep them nice and toasty with your hands, or right up close to your belly. Just not for extended periods of time.
Our little chickies didn't figure out how to accept food from our hands until they were much older, but we did win their love by sticking our hands in and scattering treats on the floor. They'll mellow out.

 

[teach1rusl]

Treats will help...eventually. I think handling each of them daily will help too. With only four that's quite doable. We're pretty much like Godzillas to them, so just keep at it in a gentle way, and they'll eventually get use to being handled. As for your little ones, I would make them sit on the floor with a towel on their lap. Maybe sit that way with your 2-yr. old in YOUR lap, and the chick in his lap so that you can guide his actions. Even a minute visit with each chick can be a thrill for the little ones.