California - Northern

[cherylcohen]

Just pulled three more lavender marans and a partridge brahma out of the hatcher...they sat in the light for a bit and then quickly scuffled to join their friends under the eco glo....

 

[Miss Molly]

I'm using eco glos for the first time, but I'm such a mother hen and these lavender marans are so precious to me that I also have a heat lamp on them...it's 95-97 degrees or so in the brooder, the room warms up because of the heat lamp.

Now if I decide to take the heat lamp out and replace with a regular bulb, then I will probably heat the room while it's a bit insulated because of the 2 built walls (room is in the back corner of the garage) but I would say it's probably 60- typically in the colder nights

I'm not so sure that in the early moments of birth they are smart enough to gravitate to the eco glo, at least like I said it's my first time using them. maybe others have different ideas.  I was trying to switch because I didn't want to burn the house down, but I think you are right and should heat it

I find if I start them with the Eco, they get it. If I start them with the heat lamp and switch them to the Eco. They huddle in a corner NOT under the Eco. I guess I'm going to have to put some extra heat in the shed. It has power. Maybe I can find a small heat and air conditioning unit. Kill two birds with one stone... Not literally ! LOL

 

[Miss Molly]

I hatched a little of everything,  but the majority are Mille Fleur Leghorns (25) and Polish (20).  The rest are Orpingtons, Welsummers, Cream Legbars, Swedes, Basque and Olive Eggers.  I also have a couple Sulmtaler X Crele Laced Polish babies.  I finally got a Sulmtaler rooster to go with my girls so this is my last batch of Sulmtaler mutts.  LOL    

Sounds like some fun Beautiful Chicks... Exciting..

 

[cherylcohen]

Kill two birds with one stone... Not literally ! LOL

 

[Miss Molly]

I'm having one of those weeks.  Bad chicken week.  I moved out a group of chicks to the barn and i think the temp fluctuation was just too great even with the heat lamp, lost about 7 chicks one night.  Yesterday, one of my blue copper marans pullets drowned in one of the buckets I leave out for them when they are free ranging.  And then this morning i wake up to 15 dead juveniles who were simply too stupid to get out of the rain into the 64 sq feet of covered run!  it wasn't raining last night and guess they really are too dumb to move once they have settled in for the night.  Those were all about 8 week old grow outs: all my polish, all of my most promising sizzles, my super cool legbar x wyandottes that were just starting to show that they were gonna be fun lookers.  then I found out my last shipment of eggs to someone hasn't arrived yet, it's now 2 days late.  only getting a handful of eggs and my wife is going to the store to buy eggs since we are eating more than they are laying.  can't sell enough chicks to pay for my feed.  blah, blah, blah.  it must be a rainy winter day and I have a serious case of the blahs.  This is the second time I have tried to start a flock of polish and the second time I have lost all of my starter flock. first time to an owl, this time due to small chicken brains and bad weather.  I guess the polish and me just weren't meant to be.  On the bright side, that's one less pen to deal with!  someday, I want some of those buggers running around my property, I just like looking at them, so down the road if anyone needs to polish downsize, I think I will get some fully grown birds to just hang out on my land!  This saturday is gonna get better!!!  I'm claiming it as true!

Jeff, my heart breaks for you. I lost about 7 chicks a few week ago to the cold...Really sucks. I felt so awful .. I thought they would be fine in the grow out shed...Nope! I'm now trying to get a new game plan for all these chicks... Really want to be ready for spring but, it might be to much work all winter. I'm going to have to slow down or stop incubating for a while.. Although the incubator is full. Yikes! Must sale Chicks....LOL

 

[juststruttin]

I have 70+ that just hatched also.. I'm just realizing the grow out shed is to cold... Crap! Now what to do! Not thrilled they are in my laundry room. Either is my family...

Mine are moving out to the barn tomorrow. Our barn has no insulation, and I don't have any problems keeping them warm and draft free.

I have 5 brooders that I have not used for the last couple of hatches because they grow out of em tooo fast.... I really like using the silver insulating rolls (looks like silver bubbler wrap - purchased at home depot) I buy the 3' x 16' rolls which makes a great brooder. I staple gun the roll in a circle in the corner of the barn, hang two heat lamps. I fill the brooder with shavings and then cover the top with more insulation rolls. Works great!!

The beauty of these rolls is that you can expand their space as they grow by simply adding additional pieces of insulation. At 4 weeks, the chick have free range of the stall, but can still retreat to they warm corner when they need to.

I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

 

[juststruttin]

I find if I start them with the Eco, they get it. If I start them with the heat lamp and switch them to the Eco. They huddle in a corner NOT under the Eco. I guess I'm going to have to put some extra heat in the shed. It has power. Maybe I can find a small heat and air conditioning unit. Kill two birds with one stone... Not literally ! LOL

Yep, I bought an Eco Glow and am not sure I like it. I don't like the fact that you cannot see the babies when they are under it. I decided I would not use it in the house and only use it when I moved em out to the barn, but by then they were used to the light and would not go under the Eco. URG.

 

[Miss Molly]

Mine are moving out to the barn tomorrow.  Our barn has no insulation, and I don't have any problems keeping them warm and draft free.

I have 5 brooders that I have not used for the last couple of hatches because they grow out of em tooo fast....  I really like using the silver insulating rolls (looks like silver bubbler wrap - purchased at home depot)  I buy the 3' x 16' rolls which makes a great brooder.  I staple gun the roll in a circle in the corner of the barn,  hang two heat lamps.  I fill the brooder with shavings and then cover the top with more insulation rolls.  Works great!!  

The beauty of these rolls is that you can expand their space as they grow by simply adding additional pieces of insulation.  At 4 weeks, the chick have free range of the stall, but can still retreat to they warm corner when they need to.  

I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

Pictures would be great... open for suggestion for sure. I still want to use the shed. I just need to keep the chicks a little warmer. I was just using the Eco all summer. I might have to leave a few heat lamps on too. The heat lamps make me Little nervous. I'm afraid of fire. That's why I purchase so many eco's .... Molly

 

[CALI CHICK]

My Daughter and I are going to make Christmas cake pops... might have to make these after Christmas

Those are adorable, Miss Molly. If I search "Christmas cake pops" will I find instructions and a recipe?

I have 70+ that just hatched also.. I'm just realizing the grow out shed is to cold... Crap! Now what to do! Not thrilled they are in my laundry room. Either is my family...

I have the brooder in the computer room/school room and my family isn't too happy either. My husband asked me to put them out in the garage but after reading what happened to yours and Papa Brooder's..........I'd rather keep them in the house. They are 6-week old silkie chicks (only 6 of them). Sometimes I still turn on the heat lamp (at night) if the room drops to about 68* or below. Should I stop using the heat lamp altogether? They are actually in a big 18" X 30" cage so the heat dissapates I figured. (I could possibly wrap the cage with cardboard and cover with a towel?) I'm really scared to chance it...........do you think they are old enough?

 

[Miss Molly]

[COLOR=0000FF]Those are adorable, Miss Molly.  If I search "Christmas cake pops" will I find instructions and a recipe?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=0000FF]I have the brooder in the computer room/school room and my family isn't too happy either.  My husband asked me to put them out in the garage but after reading what happened to yours and Papa Brooder's..........I'd rather keep them in the house.  They are 6-week old silkie chicks (only 6 of them).  Sometimes I still turn on the heat lamp (at night) if the room drops to about 68* or below.  Should I stop using the heat lamp altogether?  They are actually in a big 18" X 30" cage so the heat dissapates I figured.  (I could possibly wrap the cage with cardboard and cover with a towel?)  I'm really scared to chance it...........do you think they are old enough?[/COLOR]

Clearly I'm finding out that I have to do thing much different in the winter versus the summer months. :/ I wish I had insulated the shed while the weather was nice..I think that's what I'm going to have to do. I have WAY to many chicks to grow out in the laundry room. Plus my family is already showing signs of being put out by the cute little fluffy butts. At there defense ...chick brooder get smelly :/

If you google Cake Pops you will find so many ideas. My daughter "Casey Marie" and I spent over an hour last night snuggled in a cheer looking at all the fun ideas.. She is seventeen and is still excited to do Cake Pops with me.... Going to be a wonderful mother daughter thing...


Molly