Beware of raising winter chicks

[Lynzi777]

i've got 3 just hatched on 1/10/13... it's down to under 20 degrees outside at night, and i have no heat lamp........ my black australorp takes care of them just fine.... went out there today and the 4 day old chicks were running all over the place, then back under mom to heat up then run around again, it was probably 30-35 degrees out when i was out there...... letting mom do it is so much easier....

Is your black australorp by itself with others? Roo or no roo? I'm wondering if/when I do place in them in the coop, if the hen that was sitting on them would "take over" again in making sure no one messes with them.

I raise chicks all year round, both with broody hens (mine prefer broodiness in the winter, go figure!) and with an incubator. I keep them in a garage brooding box with two heat lamps (it's quite a large box, about 10 foot by 5 foot), then as soon as they're feathered out they go outside into the big coop. In really cold weather (in the 20s) I do exactly what you're describing, even though it doesn't look very classy - I run a 100' extension cord out there for a heat lamp. I've been doing it this way for about four years, and haven't had a problem. I've moved them out of the brooding box as early as three weeks, although their mama was with them. I think the chicks that leave the brooding box earlier make for stronger chickens in the long run.

Good to know! These chicks were hatched on Christmas by one of my silkie hens and I moved her shortly after because we couldn't get near the chicks without her going after us. I have two small children who love to hold the chicks and I knew if I kept her inside with them they would never get held and used to us. They're 4wks today and have been without a heat lamp since Thursday and have been doing just fine. I feel like no matter where I had placed it or how far away it was from the brooder they kept to one corner away from the light, so I just removed it all together when we lost power that day.

I guess my main worry is them going into "shock" when they go from the 67-68 temp inside to the 30-40 temp outside, IF it gets up to 40. I'm in NY and it was 50 over the weekend but temps have dropped back down into the 30s since then. I'm also worried about transitioning them into the bigger coop with my two hens and roo. I'll obviously start with keeping separated but placing them outside in the shed. And maybe wait until it's warmer out to have them free range a bit while I'm out there and the others are free ranging. This way I can watch the older ones around them.

 

[Happy Chooks]

i've got 3 just hatched on 1/10/13... it's down to under 20 degrees outside at night, and i have no heat lamp........ my black australorp takes care of them just fine.... went out there today and the 4 day old chicks were running all over the place, then back under mom to heat up then run around again, it was probably 30-35 degrees out when i was out there...... letting mom do it is so much easier....

Yup, broodies are the best. Only problem is they never go broody when you want them to.

 

[Lynzi777]

I ended up moving my three 4wk old chicks out to the shed last night. I was a little nervous. Threw a bunch of hay/straw in there with them along with a box filled with hay for them to "huddle" together in at night. Checked on them this morning and they all seem fine and are chirping away! Phew!

 

[Outrun Acres]

What a great thread! We brood our chicks in the garage in a very large rubber trough. We use one heat lamp and then give the chicks ample room to get away from heat if they want to. We have started incubating eggs early this year and I guess we will have to see how it goes. I don't really want to keep them in the garage for more than 8 weeks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have 3 chicks ages 6 weeks, 4 weeks and 3 weeks. Power went off to their heat lamps for 10 hours and the building got to 24 degrees. They huddled together and were perfectly fine when the power was restored. They are on 3 inches of pine shavings and surrounded by straw bales but it was still cold.
They really aren't that fragile.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

As long as they are together..I mean just think of the little buggers that go through the mail...they his some pretty adverse conditions sometimes.

 

[Chikyn]

Yaaay! Thanks

 

[YolandaRyan]

I'm in northern Texas and will be getting 25 Rhode Island Reds very soon. I will keep them in the garage in a chicken pen my husband and son made 10 years ago. We use it every time we get chicks. They will be under Brinsea EcoGlow. We have always had a heat lamp but I splurged and will try the warmer this go around. After about a week or two it's out to the coop with the "mature" ladies. Although still in the pen. They will come out when the ladies go out looking for bugs. I will have to watch because we can get some 19 degree weather here. We love our chickens and their delicious eggs! The work is well worth it. Good luck to everyone!

 

[pjd77]

Thank you for the info. It will be useful when I get started.

 

[karlamaria]

My broody sat on eggs in September and her babies are now 4 months old. She passed away after the new years fireworks she must have had a heart attack, or egg bound. She was a great mama. Those chicks will be laying soon, my vote is eggs to chicks in the fall so they lay by spring!