d'anver lovers,discuss the breed and post some pics!

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
3 weeks is a good rule of thumb, but it depends on how big of a brooder and how many chicks too. I go up to 5-6 weeks at times, though 3-4 is best.
My brooders are all 3 foot wide and 8 foot long though. Biggest concern is enough heat in it so they all have room to lay at night and the little ones dont get squished.

average set up with bantams, 3-4 weeks judge it by how crowded they are in there and available heated area.

I have several brooders, and as the birds start to feather, I'll just move them out of the chick brooder into a "grow out" brooder, less heat in it then to an unheated brooder after they are feathered up til 1/2 grown, then into a grow out pen on the ground.

 

[LauraLee]

I keep my two that I got from Ideal, hatch date 9/27 in what I call the "unheated utility brooder", which is an old cage from cockatiel breeding that is sitting in my utility room.

Don't know when I'll put them outside, probably not till spring, can't stand the thoughts of putting the little darlins out in the cold.

Hope that helped ya JJ!!!

Yes I'm having a looney moment, have those quite often lately.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Laura Lee I still have 8 in my basement in a cattle water tank but next year I am hoping for a little more volume and not planning on keeping any more in the house.

Aubrey, what kind of wattage are you using in a 3x8 brooder? What do you do if the power goes out? I am planning on building a couple out in a building I have and want to get it right the first time so if there are any tricks you can share????

jj

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

JJ
On the 3 x 8 brooders , one end is boxed on the outside into a 3x3 "house" then a 5 x 3 open wire end. I put a 100 watt flood lamp in the boxed section during the warmer summer days, early spring and this time of year they get a 250 watt heat lamp. Saturday we were 22 in the morning and all were just fine, even the less than week old ones.

By now I usually have wrapped them in heavy plastic but that cold snap was sudden and we havent been too cold recently so I just never got around to it. They were still fine.

even with the open brooder. But it defiantely help when you get into sure nuff winter to wrap them up so they hold the heat better.

I place the light at the open end of the box and angle it back into the house, this allows them plenty of room to find their own personal sweet spot. And in the hot days the open wire section allows them to get away from the light and cool off. Actually in our 100+ summers, I put the light on a timer too so it only runs at night, no need in boiling them when the heat index outside is already 100-115 here, plus is save on the power bill HAHA

Oh and mine are all out in the open so I put a sheet of roofing metal on the tops for rain and weather.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Once again you lived up to the BYC EDUCATOR title. thanks.

jj

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

no problem JJ.
Glad to help when I can, will try to get a few pics of them too when I do the big picture taking day

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

That would be great, thanks.

jj

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Aubrey, say you have a quail rooster. He has good color ,good type and the only thing wrong is he has a concave area at the front of his comb. How likely is that to pass on to his offspring?

jj

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

not bad to fix at all. It will hurt him in shows obviously, but if a concave area is his only flaw, a good hen placed with him will fix 90% or better of his offspring

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Quote:
Good deal. thanks
jj