Heat lamp in May?

[llineb]

we have chicks due this week and last time our hen quit sitting on them after a few weeks. this was during the winter so we moved them to our basement with a heat lamp. i was wondering if they quit sitting this time would we need to put a heat lamp in with them at night? i am going to move them from the big chicken house to a smaller one next door with the moms as soon as they hatch. i'm afraid the mom's might go back to the big house like before. i am also afraid to leave them in with the others b/c we have 2 roos and last time i found one dead. anyway, i wondered if they would be fine with the TN temps in june or still need the heat initially? it's been about 70's during the day and 50's at night.
thanks!
lara

 

[debilorrah]

If you take the chicks from the momma they need heat. Until they are fully feathered they will continue to need heat. And you need to keep them seperated from the flock to avoid injury. As soon as the first one hatches, move momma, the baby and the rest of the eggs.

 

[cmom]

I agree. Without mom they will need some heat.

 

[llineb]

Quote:
i moved the eggs last time 2 hatched and i think i killed a few. i could hear them peeping when i moved them and found a few had tried to peck their way out after i moved them and didn't make it out. there were holes in the side of the eggs instead of the top. i read a book after that and it said don't move the eggs after the 17th day......so do i need to wait until they all hatch?

 

[debilorrah]

They typically hatch on day 21 - I usually move mine after the first one hatches. That means the others are a few hours behind it.

 

[llineb]

Quote:
if i move them after the first one hatches do i need to set them a certain way in the nest so the chicks can peck out b/c i moved them last time after 2 of the eggs hatched and non of the other 10 eggs i moved were able to peck all the way out. i thought i had killed them by moving them b/c i heard one peeping as i moved it but it wasn't able to peck itself out.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
if i move them after the first one hatches do i need to set them a certain way in the nest so the chicks can peck out b/c i moved them last time after 2 of the eggs hatched and non of the other 10 eggs i moved were able to peck all the way out. i thought i had killed them by moving them b/c i heard one peeping as i moved it but it wasn't able to peck itself out.

Lay them on their sides. Once one hatches keep checking because it is not unheard of for a chick to need help out of the egg.

 

[llineb]

oh, thank you so much. i didn't know i could help them out and wasn't there the last time it happened b/c it was the middle of the night.