Brooder Location Questions.

[saraiquimby1]

We have seen red tail hawks come for ours. Haven't lost a one since I got my rooster a year ago. Before that we lost quite a few. My rooster has made a world of different.

 

[Welshies]

Yes I was so excited about them!! Broke my heart. In 4 years nothing has gotten into my chicken coop, Only ever lost them to hawks when free ranging.
But something dug under the door of my coop, and were able to squeeze in. The babies slept on the floor of the coop on a log, and so he got all of them first. I cried :'(
We think it was a weasel/mink.
Anyway, they are beautiful birds! My Buff Orpingtons are my favorites. Big girls that are my oldest at 4. Barely lay eggs anymore but they have a forever home here. MY first chickens. <3

Weasels and mink normally don't dig. How big was the hole?
I am sorry for your loss.

 

[saraiquimby1]

Yes he is wonderful. Such a good beautiful boy. I brag on him constantly.

 

[AaronandAlice]

I'm in Indiana. It's getting COLD at night, a little less cold during the day right now. (Between -15 and about 40F. Fluctuating constantly as Indiana weather does).
I want to get chicks but i'm torn between the best way to have them in the winter.
Previously I have kept them in our basement until feathered out, however I have yet to find a container to keep them in past about 2 weeks where they have enough room so I hesitate to put them down there again. Plus it's a dark unfinished basement so that's not ideal.
And I've never gotten this many (planning on 15-20 chicks).
I have an EcoGlow 20 that I have been using and I know it's not supposed to be used when conditions are under like 40-50 degrees. So that means I can't keep them in my other option, which would be in a stall in my horse barn. I have sheep and horses inside at night so I don't want to hang a heat lamp with as much wind and hay is around right now. The barn would be no warmer than outside since the back doors are always open, but it would be draft free and ample space (10x10 stall). I have been contemplating the Mamma's Heating Pad method if I do the horse stall but is it still too cold outside of the heating pad to keep them warm enough? Especially if it gets down towards 0 degrees?
I don't know what to do this time.
I don't want to wait to get chicks because our Rural King tends to have really great chick breeds in the winter months, and the more common every day ones in the spring and summer so I wold love to be able to get them now. Plus I always like to get them in January/February. It's just the way I do it and it works. Just looking for an easier route possibly.

SO to recap
Options are:
-Basement: Dark, Not much space (Don't know what I would even put them in)
-Horse Stall: Colder, But more space and lighter/exposed to everyday sun up and sun down light.

If basement is better then I need help figuring out what to put 15-20 chicks in for up to 6 weeks.
Opinions?

Can you order the breeds to be ready at a later date? I was looking at mypetchicken earlier and can order the chicks I want now for hatching and delivery in May. Last year I waited to order and didn't get all my first choices- though I was very happy with the ones I had.

 

[saraiquimby1]

Weasels and mink normally don't dig. How big was the hole?
I am sorry for your loss.

No bigger than a tennis ball, Probably smaller than that. We just assumed since we have seen them in that pasture before. We live right on the highway, have horses in the pasture where the coop is. Nothing ever has come close to the coop until then. Whatever it was that is the only spot it could have gotten in. And whatever it was killed 8 chickens. Gutted, beheaded, torn up every way you could imagine, but did it cleanly if that makes sense. No tracks in the sand of the coop. No trace of anything.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

ha ! We have something in common . also my favorite colors . I have a serama roo like him. raising up some tolbunt polish right now.

 

[Welshies]

No bigger than a tennis ball, Probably smaller than that. We just assumed since we have seen them in that pasture before. We live right on the highway, have horses in the pasture where the coop is. Nothing ever has come close to the coop until then. Whatever it was that is the only spot it could have gotten in. And whatever it was killed 8 chickens. Gutted, beheaded, torn up every way you could imagine, but did it cleanly if that makes sense. No tracks in the sand of the coop. No trace of anything.

Defnitely weasel or mink then. Weasels can squish through 1/2" holes.

 

[saraiquimby1]

He is a Swedish Flower Hen Rooster lol Show quality from a breeder but the story I got was he broke a toe in her wire floor coop and has a crooked toe now so she gave him away. I snatched him up. Drove a couple hours to get him. He has never lived outside a dog crate in his 8 months of life. Ran away the first time we free ranged them, over half a mile to a farmers cow barn
Husband tracked him down and he hasn't run away since lol that was over a year ago and he has grown to be a great protector. Very smart, respectful guy. Husband named him Reginald.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I have a SFH hen / Just one. LOL Probably mating the jubilee

 

[Granny Hatchet]

well, back to my thread ! Sara, I would like to invite you over but I see your married to a preacher and even though I have a preachers daughter on my thread its , well, racy ? Might be the word I am looking for. ok, smut, its full of smut .

just in case, Grannys gone and done it again.