calling any one from missouri

[BigBlueHen53]

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We celebrated Christmas a little early with part of the family. The only ones not here is my middle son and his family. We got together with the the Friday before this one.

Beautiful family!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

here are some gingerbread chickens, I’d give you all some if you were here
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Happy Christmas everyone!

Adorable!

 

[karenerwin]

This bottom picture is of 1 of the 19 chicks. It managed to get outside with the big girls but then wasn’t so sure that she wanted to be out there. I heard her loud chirping all the way over by the garage and even in the house. I went outside and herded her back in with the other chicks. I’m thinking they are all going to start wandering outside pretty soon.
I’m not using the knocked over waterer in the background. They have 2 other water stations that aren’t pictured

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How old are they, Karen? They look pretty well feathered. Do you leave the light on 24/7?

 

[SueT]

We got an egg yesterday! No one has laid since end of October so it’s a big deal for us! This is from one of the Sprights I call Blue Mary. She’s the only one w bright red comb and wattles.

 

[karenerwin]

How old are they, Karen? They look pretty well feathered. Do you leave the light on 24/7?

I’m really not sure how old they are. I bought them about a month ago ( maybe 3 weeks ago). I guesstimated that they were a month or so old then. I do leave the light on 24/7 but rarely find them under it. I’ve never seen all or most of them under it ever. There is a blanket that covers the top 1/2 or so of the cage to help keep the poop from the big girls out of there. I have seen the chicks clumped together where the blanket drags/hangs over the floor at the far back of the cage. I’ve mainly left the light on because the temperatures have been changing so radically over the last few weeks. Almost 70 one day and then lows in the mid 20’s the next! I’ll probably remove the light in the next week or so and take out there “cage” as well.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

When we have littles, we have two light housings. One has a white light, like you have in your pic, and the other has a red lamp. We swap them out, turning the red one on at night and using the white one only during the day. They settle down real fast when we swap the lights out in the evening and quickly go to sleep. We feel they get more rest and actually grow faster if we turn off the white light at night. Just a suggestion.

 

[SueT]

Re brooder heat, I use ceramic heat emitters, AKA reptile bulbs. I have for several years now. They put out heat but zero light and screw into your clamp light fixture. They come in various wattages. The chicks sleep all night when it is dark.

They do get hot, and you need to use the same precautions as w a heat lamp.

 

[BenlynFarm]

Anyone near Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri or Northeastern Oklahoma raise Indian Runner Ducks?? I’d really like to buy some hatching eggs.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Has anyone used the Sweeter Heaters? They are radiant heat. Not cheap but Made in USA and have good reviews. At least they are safer. We had a fire that burned down an outdoor pavillion a few years ago, so fire makes me really nervous. Here they are. You can get smaller than this size: https://www.amazon.com/SWEETER-HEAT...qid=1640809317&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1 If I make a brooding area in the heated part of the barn, I may use one of these: https://www.amazon.com/SWEETER-HEAT...qid=1640809317&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-1