Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[sillysamoyeds]

Hey!

Anyone in this thread near Cairns? I'm new to FNQ and chooks, so I wondered if you had any advice on predators. We are in a residential estate and have two cats and two dogs. All of our pets are of an aging population, and I'd like to keep them and my chooks safe.

The garden is fully fenced, and I plan to fence off a dedicated area for the Eglu and chooks. If I'm working from home, can they free-range outside without me?

Also, is it OK to leave the dog door open at night?

Thankee,
Curious Chrissy

 

[Poultry mum]

Hey!

Anyone in this thread near Cairns? I'm new to FNQ and chooks, so I wondered if you had any advice on predators. We are in a residential estate and have two cats and two dogs. All of our pets are of an aging population, and I'd like to keep them and my chooks safe.

The garden is fully fenced, and I plan to fence off a dedicated area for the Eglu and chooks. If I'm working from home, can they free-range outside without me?

Also, is it OK to leave the dog door open at night?

Thankee,
Curious Chrissy

Hey welcome to the poultry club… my best advice would be to contact your local council and discuss with them as they would be able to put you through (hopefully) to the correct person who would be able to answer your questions in better detail… naturally in this vast country we call home different places have different kinds of predators… I for one never thought I’d have to worry about crows stealing my eggs or “trying” to hunt my chicks and smaller true bantams for there lunch… I live in central west nsw… sorry I couldn’t be of more help but that’s the best advice I can give…

 

[ChookieG]

Hey guys, Happy New Year!

I've got a 4 week chick roo that will have to go when he's bigger. Just wanted to ask whether anyone will be interested in adopting him? He's an Araucana cross - ie. Daddy's an Araucana cross, Mummy's a White Sussex Australorp cross. He has started to develop a very pretty and funky head fuzz and I think his comb is gonna be a straight one and rather large. He currently is developing some pretty black splashes of colours with a whitish background.

He has been cold-hardened since 2.5 weeks old.. ie. left the warmth of the brooder at that age and has been sleeping outdoors since. I had the heater off 1 week before that when he was still in the brooder.

I'm situated in the Central West ATM. Here are some pics:

 

[ChookieG]

Hey!

Anyone in this thread near Cairns? I'm new to FNQ and chooks, so I wondered if you had any advice on predators. We are in a residential estate and have two cats and two dogs. All of our pets are of an aging population, and I'd like to keep them and my chooks safe.

The garden is fully fenced, and I plan to fence off a dedicated area for the Eglu and chooks. If I'm working from home, can they free-range outside without me?

Also, is it OK to leave the dog door open at night?

Thankee,
Curious Chrissy

Hey @sillysamoyeds, welcome! You may wanna try asking around in the "Predators & Pests" forum if you haven't already done so ... info provided by other BYCers will still be relevant as this thread can be pretty quiet most times.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/predators-and-pests.13/

 

[wfuller01]

Hello everyone, I’m from around Dubbo Nsw, and I’ve got some light Sussex eggs in my janoel 12 incubator, and they are about 11 days old and I need to get a brooder ready, just need some advice on this and if I should get an infra red lamp or a brinsea heat plate? Cheers

 

[ChookieG]

Hello everyone, I’m from around Dubbo Nsw, and I’ve got some light Sussex eggs in my janoel 12 incubator, and they are about 11 days old and I need to get a brooder ready, just need some advice on this and if I should get an infra red lamp or a brinsea heat plate? Cheers

Hi @wfuller01, I used neither heat options so I can't comment on either.

I use a heat mat instead with a temperature regulator plugged into it so I can set the temperature of the heated section (click on the hyperlinks of each for examples). As the regulator has a probe, it works very much like a thermometer so there's no need for me to adjust like a heat lamp/plate to make it warmer/cooler and the regulator will switch on/off based on the temperature set. The heat mat sits at the bottom against one end of the brooder where they sleep, and I place a layer of sponge on top of that, and then some organic straw mulch on top of the sponge (to collect the poo, "organic" as they like to eat the straw as they're curious creatures so best to have it less toxic). The whole rig is then covered over with some cardboard housing to create a "cave-like" structure with an old woollen/sherpa jumper acting like a "roof insulator" on top of the cardboard to retain the heat.

I use a heat mat as I believe it makes sense to have the heat coming from below, not above as heat rises & cold air sinks so there's continuous heat coming from below and the heat will be retained within the "cardboard cave" so long as the sherpa insulator is installed. I've raised 3 batches of chicks last year using this from early to late Spring with room temperatures ranging from 15 - 25 degrees.

PS: I'll advise against placing straw over the sponge when they're just out of the brooder as they are unsteady on their feet and the straw is quite slippery and may cause dislocated hocks or splayed legs. Allow them to start walking around before placing the straw.

 

[wfuller01]

Hi @wfuller01, I used neither heat options so I can't comment on either.

I use a heat mat instead with a temperature regulator plugged into it so I can set the temperature of the heated section (click on the hyperlinks of each for examples). As the regulator has a probe, it works very much like a thermometer so there's no need for me to adjust like a heat lamp/plate to make it warmer/cooler and the regulator will switch on/off based on the temperature set. The heat mat sits at the bottom against one end of the brooder where they sleep, and I place a layer of sponge on top of that, and then some organic straw mulch on top of the sponge (to collect the poo, "organic" as they like to eat the straw as they're curious creatures so best to have it less toxic). The whole rig is then covered over with some cardboard housing to create a "cave-like" structure with an old woollen/sherpa jumper acting like a "roof insulator" on top of the cardboard to retain the heat.

I use a heat mat as I believe it makes sense to have the heat coming from below, not above as heat rises & cold air sinks so there's continuous heat coming from below and the heat will be retained within the "cardboard cave" so long as the sherpa insulator is installed. I've raised 3 batches of chicks last year using this from early to late Spring with room temperatures ranging from 15 - 25 degrees.

PS: I'll advise against placing straw over the sponge when they're just out of the brooder as they are unsteady on their feet and the straw is quite slippery and may cause dislocated hocks or splayed legs. Allow them to start walking around before placing the straw.

Yeah righto thanks for that, I’ll try out the heat mat and see how it goes. Thanks

 

[Poultry mum]

Hello everyone, I’m from around Dubbo Nsw, and I’ve got some light Sussex eggs in my janoel 12 incubator, and they are about 11 days old and I need to get a brooder ready, just need some advice on this and if I should get an infra red lamp or a brinsea heat plate? Cheers

I make my own brooder box… it’s quite simple and can double as a carrier or rooster night box if you need to… I’ll post a photo… it’s basically a big storage tub bought from reject shop with the lid and side cut out place some chicken wire (grate if you’ve got off cuts laying around) over the cut outs held on by cable ties.

As for a heat lamp… being out at Dubbo (im closer Bathurst) your natural heat at this time of year should be enough… so I wouldn’t go rushing out and buying anything just yet… the eggs still have about 2 weeks to go… if you have a broody girl I’d set her up in the ready made brooder box as mentioned about with some “fake eggs” just before the eggs are due… hopefully you can swap “fake eggs” for chicks (best to try this both when she’s awake and at night when she’s sleeping)…. I got lucky with my jap bantam girl who wanted babies so badly that she didn’t even have to be broody for her to take them on (my heat lamp blew up the day after the 1st few chicks hatched and they were still hatching)….. other than that I’m not sure what other advice I can give…. Feel free to inbox me if you have more questions…

Not the best photo of my multi purpose chicken boxes (currently rooster boxes) but it gives you the idea…

 

[wfuller01]

I make my own brooder box… it’s quite simple and can double as a carrier or rooster night box if you need to… I’ll post a photo… it’s basically a big storage tub bought from reject shop with the lid and side cut out place some chicken wire (grate if you’ve got off cuts laying around) over the cut outs held on by cable ties.

As for a heat lamp… being out at Dubbo (im closer Bathurst) your natural heat at this time of year should be enough… so I wouldn’t go rushing out and buying anything just yet… the eggs still have about 2 weeks to go… if you have a broody girl I’d set her up in the ready made brooder box as mentioned about with some “fake eggs” just before the eggs are due… hopefully you can swap “fake eggs” for chicks (best to try this both when she’s awake and at night when she’s sleeping)…. I got lucky with my jap bantam girl who wanted babies so badly that she didn’t even have to be broody for her to take them on (my heat lamp blew up the day after the 1st few chicks hatched and they were still hatching)….. other than that I’m not sure what other advice I can give…. Feel free to inbox me if you have more questions…

Not the best photo of my multi purpose chicken boxes (currently rooster boxes) but it gives you the idea…

Yeah righto, thanks for the help, do you think the natural heating inside would be enough for them or need a lamp inside, as I don’t have a broody hen.

 

[Poultry mum]

PS: I'll advise against placing straw over the sponge when they're just out of the brooder as they are unsteady on their feet and the straw is quite slippery and may cause dislocated hocks or splayed legs. Allow them to start walking around before placing the straw

I place a snuggly fleece baby blanket on the bottom of my brooder box for about 2-3 weeks and the corner I make a little “nest”… gives them something to snuggle into… lol