California - Northern

[casportpony]

Someone in Yolo County had a brooder fire that caught a barn on fire--killed some chicks: Click on the picture to make it bigger. This is another reason why brooder plates are better.

How sad... I love my brooder plates, no more lamps for me! -Kathy

 

[PetRock]

Last year, I thought about making my own plate type heater with a heating pad. I just went ahead and bought the Premier 1 plates this year and I'm pleased with them once I figured out the correct height and how often to adjust it. I just saw on Jeffers that there is a heat pad made for chicks. Has anyone tried the Thermo-Peep Heat Pad?

http://www.jefferspet.com/products/k-h-thermo-peep-heated-pad-9-x12#more-info

 

[Kaylish]

Bator is running, stable and Spot Check accurate

; Premier1 brooder plate has arrived

(it looks awesome) and I get to pick up my assorted English Orpington eggs

from Jeff tonight. I love it when Christmas lasts thru March!

 

[Happy Chooks]

For all those worried about " … will my chicken ever lay an egg … "

This Welsumer is about 56 weeks old and laid her first egg today. She started an egg song in the fall, but stopped when the days grew shorter. Recently she started the egg song again, and then began squatting this past week.

Her comb and wattles remained small, but just started growing a bit larger. She has always been a slow, picky eater, but recently has become more enthusiastic about eating. She still doesn't compare to her buddies, who eat as fast as they can (while managing to stay a bit smaller), but now comes to dried mealworm snacks offered by hand (whereas previously, she might take them if offered by someone on the other side of a wire screen).

Tell her about time!

8 muscovy duck eggs to lockdown tonight...it's going to be a looooong 2-5 days.

Good luck!

Someone in Yolo County had a brooder fire that caught a barn on fire--killed some chicks:



Click on the picture to make it bigger.

This is another reason why brooder plates are better.

How awful. I only use the plates now.

 

[casportpony]

In addition to the cost savings and safety, I like the plates because they do seem to do better when forced to sleep when the sun sets.. Anyone else noticed this?

-Kathy

 

[ronott1]

In addition to the cost savings and safety, I like the plates because they do seem to do better when forced to sleep when the sun sets.. Anyone else noticed this?

-Kathy

Yes for sure!

The chicks also need to push up into the plate which helps with leg issues.

 

[FoxholeFarm]

I'm so mad. I have a broody hen that has now eaten 5 of the 11 eggs i set under her.
And there's still a week & a 1/2 to go...

Hens seem to have a very strong instinct for duds. She's probably cleaning up the dead eggs so she can focus on the ones that will actually make it. I have never had a hen kill a live egg, but every broody Ive ever set eggs with has eaten, booted out, or buried bad eggs.

 

[Michael Apple]

In addition to the cost savings and safety, I like the plates because they do seem to do better when forced to sleep when the sun sets.. Anyone else noticed this?

-Kathy

I've long been critical of those Brinsea plates because I don't like chicks piling up on each other. I know they make 2 sizes, but have used brooder lamps for so long, I can heat a larger area so they can spread out and be comfortable. I have long used a red light, and even a ceramic heat bulb so they have darkness at night.

 

[casportpony]

Quote: I have the large one and have not had any problems with them piling up on each other. Have some pictures somewhere of them all underneath all sprawled out like they do when they're sun bathing.

So far I used them with chicken chicks, ducklings, peachicks and mixes of the three.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

I just found this!
Picture below is from this site: http://smartools.pharmdev.org/iu.html


How cool is that?

-Kathy