Baby chicks countdown thread!

[Mamatomany123]

Well,I ditched the heat plate. I put them all under it when we got home and they stayed put before I left. I went out when the sun came up and 1 was dead in the other end of the brooder and another was dying ontop of the heat plate. I got her warmed up and she seems to be doing better now. I buried the little baby that died. I now have a heat lamp in there and they're all earing, drinking, and running around. I've never lost a chick and am so sad now. I should have just used the heat lamp from the beginning.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Well,I ditched the heat plate. I put them all under it when we got home and they stayed put before I left. I went out when the sun came up and 1 was dead in the other end of the brooder and another was dying ontop of the heat plate. I got her warmed up and she seems to be doing better now. I buried the little baby that died. I now have a heat lamp in there and they're all earing, drinking, and running around. I've never lost a chick and am so sad now. I should have just used the heat lamp from the beginning.

I saw that some of the hatcheries will not honor their chick loss refund if you don't use a heat lamp.
I always use a heat lamp but have thought about getting a heat plate. They seem too expensive for how many chicks I hatch, and how many brooders I have.

 

[Hermits Garden]

1. Your expected ship/arrival week
April 18th ship date

2. How many weeks are left
9 weeks

3. Where you ordered from
Cackle

4. What was in your order
3 Australorps
3 Barred Rocks
3 Buff Orpintons
3 Delawares
3 Speckled Sussex

This is my first time to ever have chickens.

We're currently working on the coop (don't try building a coop in snow country in January, it's no fun at all). It's all dry--roof w/ shingles, exterior paint all done. And the interior painting is done, except the floor. We're having unseasonably warm weather here, so I hope to get that done this weekend. Then poo boards, roosts, the broody "closet" and the nest box shelf. Oh--and the run! Chain link kennel panels, with welded wire cover on supports. The photo below is what I'm using for nest boxes. I have four of them--three for regular use, and one to replace a broody hen who might set up "housekeeping" in it. She can go in the broody closet (just a 4' x 3' part of the coop, penned off with a door.)

I'm working on a first aid kit, making the Mama Heating Pad set up, and getting it all finished (with paint vapors/gases gone) and ready. I'm glad I still have so much to do, or my head would explode with the waiting.

 

[Mamatomany123]

I'm not going to tell them she died. It wasn't their fault, it was mine.

I saw that some of the hatcheries will not honor their chick loss refund if you don't use a heat lamp.
I always use a heat lamp but have thought about getting a heat plate. They seem too expensive for how many chicks I hatch, and how many brooders I have.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

1. Your expected ship/arrival week
April 18th ship date

2. How many weeks are left
9 weeks

3. Where you ordered from
Cackle

4. What was in your order
3 Australorps
3 Barred Rocks
3 Buff Orpintons
3 Delawares
3 Speckled Sussex

This is my first time to ever have chickens.

We're currently working on the coop (don't try building a coop in snow country in January, it's no fun at all). It's all dry--roof w/ shingles, exterior paint all done. And the interior painting is done, except the floor. We're having unseasonably warm weather here, so I hope to get that done this weekend. Then poo boards, roosts, the broody "closet" and the nest box shelf. Oh--and the run! Chain link kennel panels, with welded wire cover on supports. The photo below is what I'm using for nest boxes. I have four of them--three for regular use, and one to replace a broody hen who might set up "housekeeping" in it. She can go in the broody closet (just a 4' x 3' part of the coop, penned off with a door.)

I'm working on a first aid kit, making the Mama Heating Pad set up, and getting it all finished (with paint vapors/gases gone) and ready. I'm glad I still have so much to do, or my head would explode with the waiting.View attachment 2989433

I'd have a heat lamp at least for the first week. Cackle won't refund dead chicks if you don't.

 

[Poodlemum]

I can hearrrrrrrr them and no one is at the desk yetttttt

 

[junior67]

the feed store closest to me came out with their order forms!!!!!!!! BUT at least 2 breeds I want they don't have. And they seem to only have chicks every other week this year.... there is a min of 4 from them. there is another feed store near me that has the missing ones I wanted but they have a min of 6 and they just do a first come first serve and people get in line between 6-6:30am for an 8am opening to get the chicks and I just can't do that.... Trying to find someone that is going the week that I would need the chicks to see if they can get me 2-3 of them.

Who here has Marans that they got from a hatchery? how dark are their eggs? I am debating on getting one for the dark eggs but read a lot of times from hatcheries they are just a slightly dark brown.

 

[Poodlemum]

THEY’RE HERE!!!! Only one DOA, I need help identifying and will post separately. I’m fairly confident it was the mystery chick, but possibly one of the Bielefelder

 

[KerriChick]

I can't wait for my new (hopefully all) ladies!

1. Expected ship date is the week of April 25
2. 11 weeks left!
3. Ordered from MPC
4. This is only my second batch of suburban chickens, we moved and the new hood allows for up to 10 hens. So, we have 5 on order to add to our 3. We ordered:
1 Buckeye, 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte, 1 Light Brahma, 1 Speckled Sussex and 1 EE just to add some color to our egg basket.

I just ordered a RentACoop 10"x10" heating plate, now I'm having second thoughts. I thought they were the preferred thing-I have a heat lamp from last time that worked fine that I can use instead...advice?

 

[Mamatomany123]

Based on my experience today, I don't recommend the heat plate. They were all huddled under it when I left, but I think she got out and couldn't see in the dark and died from being too cold. The one I was able to save is still a bit wobbly. I'll stick with the heat lamp now.

I can't wait for my new (hopefully all) ladies!



1. Expected ship date is the week of April 25

2. 11 weeks left!

3. Ordered from MPC

4. This is only my second batch of suburban chickens, we moved and the new hood allows for up to 10 hens. So, we have 5 on order to add to our 3. We ordered:

1 Buckeye, 1 Golden Laced Wyandotte, 1 Light Brahma, 1 Speckled Sussex and 1 EE just to add some color to our egg basket. 



I just ordered a RentACoop 10"x10" heating plate, now I'm having second thoughts. I thought they were the preferred thing-I have a heat lamp from last time that worked fine that I can use instead...advice?