Beware of raising winter chicks

[donsmit5]

Just letting everyone know that I have raised chicks the last 2 winters in Kentucky. Currently I have 21 - 14 week old mixed breed chicks and 28 -8 weeks old mixed breed chicks from my chickens that I hatched in a Top Hatch incubator. They spent 1 week in my bedroom in a plastic tote with 100 watt bulb and reflector, then moved moved them to a brooder in my storage building for the next 5 weeks the first 2 weeks in the brooder I had a 250 watt bulb then changed to a 125 watt the next 3 weeks, then moved into a outside coop at 6 weeks with no heat. I enjoyed it a lot more than raising them in the spring/summer.

 

[MIKE555444]

Just letting everyone know that I have raised chicks the last 2 winters in Kentucky. Currently I have 21 - 14 week old mixed breed chicks and 28 -8 weeks old mixed breed chicks from my chickens that I hatched in a Top Hatch incubator. They spent 1 week in my bedroom in a plastic tote with 100 watt bulb and reflector, then moved moved them to a brooder in my storage building for the next 5 weeks the first 2 weeks in the brooder I had a 250 watt bulb then changed to a 125 watt the next 3 weeks, then moved into a outside coop at 6 weeks with no heat. I enjoyed it a lot more than raising them in the spring/summer.

Sounds like you have a very well thought out plan

 

[weaversfarm]

I got 54 chicks October 26th from a hatchery. I have a 4X8 foot brooder that can be separated into 2 sections. I closed off the one section and kept them in the 2X4 ft. brooder with a heat lamp until they started getting bigger, then opened up the other half. We just moved them out into the coop in early December, so they were about 8 weeks old. We live in NY so it is cold here and we have had several snow storms and they have been confined to a 16'X16' coop with 2 100 watt bulbs. We are going to have a thaw this week, so they will be able to come and go outside when they want. I didn't lose any. I now have another 40 chicks coming next week, and will do the same thing. I wanted a brooder that can grow larger as the chicks grow. My logic for getting them in October was I wanted eggs for springtime. Now the 40 chicks coming in January, I am hoping I will always have eggs and everyone won't go into molt at the same time. This is my first time trying it, so we'll see how it works.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Hmmm.... what is this cold weather you speak of??? LOL!

 

[Lynzi777]

Thought I would add my 2 cents. I hatched 7 chicks just before Thanksgiving, had a regular 75w bulb on them for about 2 weeks,  the bathroom they are in stays 60-70 degrees. Took the bulb away as they were feathering nicely, then last weekend put them outside in a  small run with a dog crate to huddle in at night. They are doing great, no huddling or acting cold,they are actively running around pen. My feelings are that we are creating non-hardy chicks and chickens by giving them too much heat too long. They are much more adaptable and hardier than people think. I  have loved having chicks this time of year and they should lay late spring when people will just be getting their chicks. The Temps here have been 30-50 degrees, which I understand is a little warmer than where some of you are. My parents have both had chickens since they were kids and my dad is 83, he remembers the kerosene incubator his parents used when he was abot 6 yrs old.



                                                   Joy

I just hatched 3 chicks Christmas Eve, Day, and the day after. Took momma away the weekend following since the last two eggs she was sitting on did not hatch. Kept the heat lamp on the chicks up until this past Friday when I ended up losing power. The chicks are doing just fine. They huddle together at night to sleep and don't seem to mind being without the heat lamp during the day. They are in my laundry room which does stay fairly warm. However, With the weather getting into the 50's this weekend I was curious as to when would be an OK time to get them used to the weather outdoors? They won't be 4wks until later this month so if this weather stays warm like it has would it be terrible to move them to the shed come February??

 

[Happy Chooks]

I just hatched 3 chicks Christmas Eve, Day, and the day after. Took momma away the weekend following since the last two eggs she was sitting on did not hatch. Kept the heat lamp on the chicks up until this past Friday when I ended up losing power. The chicks are doing just fine. They huddle together at night to sleep and don't seem to mind being without the heat lamp during the day. They are in my laundry room which does stay fairly warm. However, With the weather getting into the 50's this weekend I was curious as to when would be an OK time to get them used to the weather outdoors? They won't be 4wks until later this month so if this weather stays warm like it has would it be terrible to move them to the shed come February??

It really depends on your set up. Is the area outdoors you will be putting them free of drafts? Can you give them a heat lamp out there? If you can give them a heat lamp and maintain a steady temperature, then they will be fine.

I brood outdoors in a small coop, and even in winter I have no trouble keeping them warm enough. My 8 week old chicks have been in the coop without heat for a week now. This week we have been getting down into the low 20's at night and they are fine. There are enough of them to huddle and keep warm and they are cruising around happy as can be.

I incubate and raise chicks in winter - that way they are laying mid-summer. But I certainly wouldn't order shipped chicks in winter. It's just too cold for them to survive.

 

[Lynzi777]

It really depends on your set up.  Is the area outdoors you will be putting them free of drafts?  Can you give them a heat lamp out there?  If you can give them a heat lamp and maintain a steady temperature, then they will be fine.

I brood outdoors in a small coop, and even in winter I have no trouble keeping them warm enough.  My 8 week old chicks have been in the coop without heat for a week now.  This week we have been getting down into the low 20's at night and they are fine.  There are enough of them to huddle and keep warm and they are cruising around happy as can be.

I incubate and raise chicks in winter - that way they are laying mid-summer.  But I certainly wouldn't order shipped chicks in winter.  It's just too cold for them to survive.

They would be free from draft but I have no heat lamp out there. I could get one out there but that would involve running an extension cord from the house to the shed. I could do that I guess if I either bought a longer cord than I have now or one of the same size to connect the two. Maybe I'll do that today and this way when the time comes I can move them to the shed.

 

[farmtotable]

They would be free from draft but I have no heat lamp out there. I could get one out there but that would involve running an extension cord from the house to the shed. I could do that I guess if I either bought a longer cord than I have now or one of the same size to connect the two. Maybe I'll do that today and this way when the time comes I can move them to the shed.

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.

 

[kingsfarm]

3 broodies..2 hens hatched total of 12 chicks same day (1/5/13) .. 3rd hen hatched 7 more chickes.(1/10/13).well I wish you could see them...live in Louisiana, rain, rain, rain - they don't know the difference!!! Ha. the weather has turned cold..what a combination..cold & wet...they just run around, scratching along with mama in misting rain like this is a normal day (I guess it is for them, its all they know) mama keeps them warm and well fed. and protected ...This is the second season of winter chicks and no problems .. I will not discourage a broody because if I will have to rely on them in the future to keep the flock going they will know what to do and teach their chicks how to be a "self sufficient chick". have 2 game hens, production red, black sex link and buff orp. who have been "broody queens" here...Isn't this fun and the natural way. raised 25 chicks one winter in my large brooder with light, covered sides with tarp for added sheild from weather, there is room for them to get away from heat at other end ..much more work, constant care...will NOT do this again.. have flock limit (Ha) at the moment.. As I said any time with a mama hen...worst time in La. is summer heat...

 

[darin367]

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....