Ask your chick related questions HERE! (Newbies welcome!)

[SusanD]

Thanks for your reply, that was helpful. I had a followup question about how to go about putting them in our (my parents and my) chicken coop (or alternatively moving the brooder to our garage) safely (with a heat lamp). We will have had them inside for three weeks as of the 19th. Their feather stages are - Welsummer, almost completely feathered; RIR, wings and upper side; Langshan, wings and some leg feathers only. The air temperature where I live varies from 30/40 something at night to 60/70 something during the day, and we do sometimes get rain I assume we would want the temperature around the heat lamp to be the same as what we would like it to be inside (80 to 85) and also to keep them dry. Is there anything else we should know?

 

[Heidi72]

Hi
I have 3 silky chicks, 1 white and 2 black. The white one is a rooster because it cock a doodle dos. How else can you tell if have a rooster because one of the black ones has been trying to crow for a few weeks now. I have heard of bantam hens mimicking roosters. Is this true?

 

[JJA]

HELP!
The first of my bantam eggs has hatched, other 10 no movement yet. so I've plugged on my ECOGLOW 20 brooder to warm up ready for the clocks,. It's been on fr about 4hrs and there is no heat at all. Does this mean it's broken or does it take longer than this?
Thanks.

 

[MamaRudey]

HELP!
The first of my bantam eggs has hatched, other 10 no movement yet. so I've plugged on my ECOGLOW 20 brooder to warm up ready for the clocks,. It's been on fr about 4hrs and there is no heat at all. Does this mean it's broken or does it take longer than this?
Thanks.

Sounds broken.

 

[LotsOLopsChicks]

Thanks for your reply, that was helpful. I had a followup question about how to go about putting them in our (my parents and my) chicken coop (or alternatively moving the brooder to our garage) safely (with a heat lamp). We will have had them inside for three weeks as of the 19th. Their feather stages are - Welsummer, almost completely feathered; RIR, wings and upper side; Langshan, wings and some leg feathers only. The air temperature where I live varies from 30/40 something at night to 60/70 something during the day, and we do sometimes get rain I assume we would want the temperature around the heat lamp to be the same as what we would like it to be inside (80 to 85) and also to keep them dry. Is there anything else we should know?

Hello SusanD,

Glad my reply helped. I am assuming these chicks are around 3 weeks of age? Maybe 4? Well, right now in my coop separated from big mean to little chicks big chickens (lol) are 5 2-3wk old ducklings, 6 2wk old meat birds and 2 8wk olds (rir and barred rock) I have a heatlamp shining in one place but they can get away if they want. Our temperature gets 30-50 at night and 60-70 in day. So far they are doing good so, watch them and check on them and they should be good! Weaning of light earlier helps them feather faster. Mine are fine and doing good
So I advise, a heatlamp on at night at least. Maybe you could start wth supervised day trips outside and bring in when they appear cold. Warm them up to the weather

LotsOLopsChicks

 

[LotsOLopsChicks]

Hi
I have 3 silky chicks, 1 white and 2 black. The white one is a rooster because it cock a doodle dos. How else can you tell if have a rooster because one of the black ones has been trying to crow for a few weeks now. I have heard of bantam hens mimicking roosters. Is this true?

Hi Heidi72,

I acutally just got my first silkie chick and he's/she's only 2-3wks old. So I'm not sure. Perhaps posting pictures and age in 'breed or gender' section would help. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help! Best of luck! By the way, one of my friend's bantam hens crowed just once and then she went back to laying eggs :/ Not sure! I do know silkie's can be harder to sex and they have to grow out a bit longer. But the egg or breeding will be the definite answer!

LotsOLopsChicks

 

[LotsOLopsChicks]

HELP!
The first of my bantam eggs has hatched, other 10 no movement yet. so I've plugged on my ECOGLOW 20 brooder to warm up ready for the clocks,. It's been on fr about 4hrs and there is no heat at all. Does this mean it's broken or does it take longer than this?
Thanks.

Hello JJA,

How exciting on your hatchlings! I've yet to own an ECOGLOW (I sure do want too!) and I've no ideda. I suggest contacting the company or asking in a separate post.

Best of luck!

~LotsOLopsChicks

 

[aart]

Quote: That's not the way this forum works.

 

[SusanD]

Thanks for your reply.

It does sound like they should be ok with a heat lamp, and I think my birds will love it, especially the Welsummer (a week older and twice as large as my other two); they are in a plastic box right now that is getting a little small for them. I will plan to get them used to room temperature first (they have a heatlamp on inside right now), then to our garage with a heat lamp, and to the coop assuming the first two steps go will.

 

[Aozora]

At what age can I provide my chicks with chick grit?

Similarly, at what age can I start giving them chopped veggies, kitchen scraps, and mealworms as treats/to get them started foraging? I would like the little velociraptors to eventually free-range on my 5ac property and I figure the younger I start the better.