California - Northern

[chiqita]

Congrats to all of you with new chicks! Love the baby goats, also, especially the Nubian looking ones. Triplets are really a wonderful surprise!

I have an enclosed 16 x 20 building that I use as a farrowing barn. I cleaned it out, yesterday, after moving the pigs outdoors. It occurred to me that it might make a good space to brood chicks, until they get big enough to range outside.

There is already a heat lamp in there. I could add more. The floor is concrete. I was wondering if I could use that aluminum insulation, that someone mentioned on here, to enclose a small area? Put shavings right on top of the concrete. Would that be too cold for chicks? The sow would push all the straw aside to lay on the bare concrete, while her piglets huddled in the pile of straw under the light. I think she did this because the concrete was cold.

I could also move the large metal stock tank in there, as a brooder. What is the best base material for a brooder, under shavings? What should be avoided? Newspaper is too slippery, correct?

I've brooded chicks many times, but always started out in plastic tubs with paper towels. I'm trying to think larger scale now, something easy to clean.

I'm looking at this big empty space and considering options. Any ideas?

I'd do a stock tank with shavings for 2 weeks then covered concrete. Shavings or sand or whatever. If you are doing various ages you could use both. I would be worried about chicks getting chilled early on.

I used a fruit box with a heat lamp in the garage for when I had a ton of chicks for the first 4-6 weeks. There were more losses then you would have had inside. I think in the future I would do 2 heat sources.

Also you will want the food and water raised as soon as they know how to eat and drink. I just used bricks they could jump on them. Or you will be changing it constantly its insane what they can get in a waterer. That's why I like inside on rubber stuff change it every other day and they don't get it in the water.

 

[ronott1]

Our chicks arrived today! I was having a dream that a postal hub called me and told me that the box was silent, all the chicks were dead, and asking if they should just send it back when my phone rang in real life. It was the post office! I was so nervous driving there and back, but when I opened the lid they were all alive! One has a toe bent inward and it keeps falling down, but he's still racing around with the others and was one of the first to drink. Can anyone point me towards a thread about correcting their toes? (ETA I found some. I am wondering when you should try and correct it and when to just leave it alone. I'll get some pictures of him and get all your expert opinions)

Pictures later! We've got some little fuzzy footed ones. So exciting

Correcting the toe is up to you. If it is one, they it is no big deal. I have seen pictures of the toe straightened and the foot splinted into a bandage.

Congratulations!

Yes, Pictures soon please!

 

[debs_flock]

Also deb don't be sure yet on the showgirl unless she has gone red. My girls all have wattles.

I was basing my call on "he" is developing head streamers and the start of a fairly large comb.

Deb

 

[ronott1]

Congrats to all of you with new chicks! Love the baby goats, also, especially the Nubian looking ones. Triplets are really a wonderful surprise!

I have an enclosed 16 x 20 building that I use as a farrowing barn. I cleaned it out, yesterday, after moving the pigs outdoors. It occurred to me that it might make a good space to brood chicks, until they get big enough to range outside.

There is already a heat lamp in there. I could add more. The floor is concrete. I was wondering if I could use that aluminum insulation, that someone mentioned on here, to enclose a small area? Put shavings right on top of the concrete. Would that be too cold for chicks? The sow would push all the straw aside to lay on the bare concrete, while her piglets huddled in the pile of straw under the light. I think she did this because the concrete was cold.

I could also move the large metal stock tank in there, as a brooder. What is the best base material for a brooder, under shavings? What should be avoided? Newspaper is too slippery, correct?

I've brooded chicks many times, but always started out in plastic tubs with paper towels. I'm trying to think larger scale now, something easy to clean.

I'm looking at this big empty space and considering options. Any ideas?

I agree with Chiqita, Stock tank for a couple of weeks and then move them out with insulation on the floor. I bough a roll of plastic insulation that they put under pergo floors. They have several types and it is and insulator. They will eventually rip it up so when that happens I roll the whole thing up and dispose of it. Plastic in the recycle bin and shavings and manure into the green waste or compost it!

 

[zooweemama]

Thanks for posting! The little blues are dreamy!
Stunning, as always! He is lucky to have found you! What a way to showcase his birds!

Thanks!

Thanks for posting! The little blues are dreamy!
Stunning, as always! What a way to showcase his birds!

We had a lot of Excitement here on our little farm today....

TRIPLETS






AND TWINS



Our new blessings!

Umm seriously? These baby goats are soooo stinking cute! I've been wanting goats for a while. Hubby says so go. Wahhh!

Finally some results from my homemade incubator not bad for only my second attempt 5 out of 7 hatched

These are so cute. Love their chipmunkiness.

Congratulation....blue and splash, very nice !

Amy Beth, once again amazing pictures !
Jeff, beautiful birds!

Oh how I love this Jubilee Orps, Speckled Sussex and Gold Laced Orps the mostest. He has a TON of birds.

Congratulations on the chicks you guys!!

Molly those baby goats are soo cute! Is this the season they are for sale? I need a few goats over here!

Amy you really have a heavenly talent with those cameras. Can i hire you maybe next year when all of my orps are grown up? I want to put my website together at the end of this year- the beginning of next year.

Thanks and absolutely!

Oh! I know what you are talking about. Yeah, $45 is not worth it. Although I think my in-laws might have one they aren't using.

I have been peeking at CL to see if anyone is offloading some old ones. Mine have cracks in them- but they work for now if we don't throw them or anything. lol It's amusing how much the birds prefer.

Ain't that the truth!!!! I always love looking at my birds but then to see them from a photographer's eye and skill is amazing!!!

Pics are so beautiful Amy Beth. My wife wants to hire you to photograph our children after she saw the pics.

Awww thanks! Did I send the one of your daughter?

I had a hatch that had 3 major power outages and I still got a bunch to hatch. Most of them were cockerels, but they still hatched.

This is just amazing! Living more in the country we have power outages many times a year- that makes me nervous.

 

[Miss Molly]

The Blue and splash like this:

Very nice looking... AWESOME!

 

[chiqita]

I was basing my call on "he" is developing head streamers and the start of a fairly large comb.

Deb

Ahh, streamers I can't cure.

I am also crappy at noticing them, I make Mario do all the feather inspections. I am getting better at judging head fluff however. Silkies with pompadors= boys, old lady hats= girls. Of course its still not totally reliable . Every second email I get wants sexed silkies, I should make a form letter about it . I could be terribly mean and show a picture of the baby boys and what happens to them as a tax on not reading me saying STRIAGHT RUN THIS MEANS THE CHICKS ARE NOT SEXED every 2nd line of my ad. Of course I'm not that evil, but i think about it.

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
LOL, yeah silkies/showgirls are not the easiest. I have a partridge cockerel that was a pullet up until the day before I sent in an entry for "her" first show. No streamers, very docile, never crowed, then I took a good look at the developing comb. I swear, a month later the comb was huge and he was jumping all the girls! Late starter, but he's making up for lost time.

Deb

 

[zooweemama]

Ahh, streamers I can't cure.

I am also crappy at noticing them, I make Mario do all the feather inspections. I am getting better at judging head fluff however. Silkies with pompadors= boys, old lady hats= girls. Of course its still not totally reliable . Every second email I get wants sexed silkies, I should make a form letter about it . I could be terribly mean and show a picture of the baby boys and what happens to them as a tax on not reading me saying STRIAGHT RUN THIS MEANS THE CHICKS ARE NOT SEXED every 2nd line of my ad. Of course I'm not that evil, but i think about it.

I buy straight run chicks and don't really have issue with it and understand that it means I am gambling. My rate is like 3 boys to 1 girl. Doesn't matter who I buy from. I have horrible luck. I bought my ducklings from a breeder sexed. That was awesome. I would love to learn how to vent sex all my birds. I would love to be able to CL all the boys within a week of hatch so save on feed costs. haha I think mentioning it a few times in emails honestly is a good thing- I swear people gloss over it.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:

Hoping the ones from me are better. It was a good hatch rate and you have the entire hatch so you should have a lot of pullets!