First night out

[NevadaRon]

Howdy HorseFeatherz! Thanks for the advice on the heat

. I did check out the Nevada thread and I posted there a couple of times. I'm in Dayton; where are you?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Just north of Reno, off of Red Rock road.


Silly me - you have been to the NV thread - sigh - I just get so excited seeing someone else from NV.


One thing I do with those laggers who are slow to go to the coop - just before sunset take some treats out and feed them in the coop. I will sit on the ground or bucket and watch them for a bit in the coop - seems to help calm any fears they might have.

 

[chicknerd]

Quote:
It is supposed to get down to 42 here tonight and tomorrow night. I guess I should put their heat lamp out there

It will be cool, but not freezing here too. I do not use additional heat. I do have a small LED light in there. But not for heat. They bunch together to keep warm.

 

[kla37]

Do they have to learn how to use a roost??? Should I put a little one in the brooder? The bossy girl is already using the top of the waterer as her perch. And, how high off the floor of the coop should the roosts be for full grown standard chickens? I've read anything from a foot to 4 feet.

 

[SouthernChick]

They do not need a roost in the brooder, wait until they are in the coop. I built my roost every 12 inches was a 2x4 flat from the floor up. So your first board will be 12" from the floor.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Brrrrrr this AM - my waters were frozen and so was my drip system!


How did your little ones do last night NVRon?

 

[NevadaRon]

HorseFeatherz: They look like they did well

. I had to physically put them in the coop again. It didn't get cold enough here to freeze anything, just a little windy.

kla37: I don't know if they are using the roosts in the coop yet, but I did make a small roost out of 3/4 inch wood dowel and a couple of pieces of 2x4 for the brooder. They started using it right away.

 

[kla37]

nevadaron, thanks for the tip. I did get a thick wooden dowel and put it through the brooder, just about 6 inches up. Some use it and some don't. The cochin babies seem to like it, as well as my buff orpington. The three of them are always huddled next to each other on it during naptime! And, I think my favorite barred plymouth rock, Rexy, might really be a Rex instead....