Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Leahs Mom]

They have those with radiant heat that, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name.

I've been playing around with an idea the past few years I'd like to try with a small group of chicks like that...been thinking about making a loosely stuffed fleece "hen" with a wire rectangular or oval-shaped structuring that could be bent to simulate a mother hen huddled over chicks. The fleece would/could radiate their own body warmth back to them and they could come and go under it as they please. It would have folds and lumps that hang down and loosely brush the ground to provide pockets where chicks could huddle together. The whole thing would be removable from the wire and be washable.


Still wanna try it to see if it would work.....

I'd love to see it if you ever try. Sounds intriguing.

 

[donrae]

You're welcome! The CX were quite spoiled as far as meat birds go....shade, sun, play, freedom, fresh air, fresh soils..who could ask for more?

A great life, one really bad day.....that's how it should be for more food animals.

 

[Leahs Mom]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/705169/baby-chicks-in-the-winter/20#post_9603066

that is the thread that I found out about it in.

Thanks ... I'll check those out.

I just saw these - wonder if they put out enough heat to do the job when it's cold out?

http://www.shopthecoop.com/product/CL1.html

 

[bruceh]

Whew! I made a flying trip to (almost) San Angelo to meet a Mr.Welling. He is the one that Bryan got the chickens from. He is a very nice man with a wonderfully wry sense of humor, and a body that is turning against him faster than he can grasp the concept. Anyway, he is getting out of the chicken business, and I bought another pair of sebrights, a pair of Mille Fleur d' Uccles, a pair of porcelain d' Uccles (gorgeous!), a cabinet style incubator and some transport cages.

He also took the time to show me how to give a chicken a bath! I never would have thought to give a chicken a bath, but he informed me that if we didn't, our birds would certainly lose to one who did, even if ours were superior birds! Who'd have thunk it??? Anyway, I took him to lunch and we lingered a long while, he telling me chicken secrets, me taking notes in a notebook. It was a wonderful day. When I got in the pickup to leave, he asked me to hang on a minute, and disappeared into his well appointed chicken shed and brought out a battered old 3 ring binder, and handed it to me to give to my kids. It was hand written notes he'd jotted down over the years. I cried halfway home! He is a very nice man, and I'm sure we will take him to many lunches as we are that way often.

When I got home, I replaced the roosts in the d' Uccles pen with 2X4 roosts, and started another cattle panel pen for the porcelains. We will go work some more on it this evening after homework is finished and checked. I haven't told the kids yet...they wouldn't be able do concentrate!

I'm sure I will be asking bunches of questions when it comes time to plug the incubator in...I think you can put something like 200 eggs in it. A cabinet type with a glass door and several trays w/ and automatic turner. I'm excited! I think I may have chicken fever worse than the kids, tho I have not selected my special breed...I like them all! Brie

chicken math

 

[Zanna]

The Brinsea ecoglow 20 is great, it is ecofriendly, it isn't a light, you just put it above the shavings, you can go to the brinsea website and check it out under brooders. I also had a question about baby chicks in the winter, I will post a hyperlink to the thread, somebody put a pic up and reccomended it on my thread.

Love it and the chicks do too. I have one for 20 chicks and the larger one for 50. Energy efficient, normal day/night schedule for the chicks and no fire hazzard.

 

[aussie pete]

Thanks ... I'll check those out.

I just saw these - wonder if they put out enough heat to do the job when it's cold out?

http://www.shopthecoop.com/product/CL1.html

these heat emitters r what we use in oz for our brooders,can be bought in different wattage like bulbs,no light just heat,just make sure u use a ceramic bulb holder not plastic cheers Pete

 

[Fred's Hens]

We have them here stateside too. Just search Zoo Med ReptiCare on Amazon or other shopping site.

 

[Leahs Mom]

these heat emitters r what we use in oz for our brooders,can be bought in different wattage like bulbs,no light just heat,just make sure u use a ceramic bulb holder not plastic cheers Pete

Quote: Fred's Hens



How cold is the temperature in the area you use them? It is possible that the temperatures in our area during brooding could, on occasion, get in the 20's (F) at night, but it will most likely be no lower than 28 degrees or so.

 

[bruceh]

you don't free range Bruce?

more like a 3/4 acre fenced back yard i have 1 rooster. he watches the hens but does not crow to bad. at the present i have 16 layers. and 32 cx;s. adding for giggles sake 4 marans and 4 welsummers.

 

[featherz]

I have both ecoglows also - love em. You can set up a brooder anywhere, easy peasy. I had a few chicks that mama would not accept, so they are in a dog crate in the coop with an ecoglow. No heat lamps - and after a few uses the energy savings pays for the ecoglow. The 50 is very nice for large groups of chicks and is much easier to adjust.

My chicks have been fine using one down to about 40 degrees. I don't think I'd use one outside any colder than that (I think brinsea says 50 or 60).