HELP HELP PLEASE HELP

[Alecia]

I say let's try the chat room. I'm going to go there right now. I would love some moral support.

 

[Alecia]

I can't find the link to the chat room. So, here goes, when I just now checked on them they just looked at me and did not get up from their "cuddle huddle." They did not chirp or move they just looked at me like "hey we were sleeping" they didn't get up and run over to the door they just stayed put. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing. I hope that they are warm and just don't want to get up. I know it sounds crazy, but I would go lay down ( after layers of blankets etc to cover the floor) if I really needed to. Last night I just sat with them until 4 am and then they were settled enought to stay asleep. Yesterday was their first day in the new pen (not the coop yet). Like I said, an immediate thunderstorm ensued once they were in the pen and this is the following cold front. I wish I hadn't moved them so soon. I was going to wait until Monday. Oh well, not much I can do about it now, but go lay in the coop lol, I can see it now...."Shocking True Confessions, Woman sleeps with chickens." Seriously, though, I WOULD do anything and everything I can to keep them safe and now I've put them out in the cold. I really am so worried. I guess I'll just go lay there, so I KNOW that they are warm enough. People will think that I', nuts, but I just don't know what else to do, our dryer is broken so I can't heat towels and most of our extension cords are shot or just not long enough. My bones already ache just thinking about this. What should I do?

And thanks for all of the support!!

Alecia the Hun

 

[Jsto]

Here is a link where you can enter chat: https://www.backyardchickens.com/talk/chat/online-list.php if you decide to come in after all.

I'm not really sure what to tell ya. I can understand being willing to sleep out there with them, but my bones ache for ya! Maybe you can try the boiled water chick. Electricity hasn't been around forever but cold weather and storms that suddenly creep up in summer have.

 

[crazylilchick]

You may not have a box big enough to put them in but you could open a smaller box up and make a draft guard out of it. Even a partial one would help Make sure you are using something to insulate them from a cold floor too. Plenty of wood chips or other bedding. Get a thermometer in there so you know what their temp is. Like someone else said get a heat lamp, heating pad or space heater in there. Steal extension cords from around the house if you need to. Just be careful not to cause a fire. Be safe. If you can contain their body heat to the space they're in, they will generate some heat themselves. Kind of the way dog houses work. Thats all I've got. Just trying to do some brainstorming for ya. Its too late for much more. Please don't sleep on the floor with your chickens. Your such a good chicken mom. Good night.

 

[verthandi]

If you have survived the night, and can't do any of the other suggestions given to you before the night time temp. drop again. Make your chickens some large rice filled bags out of fabric. Polar fleece works well, just sew two squares of fabric together and fill with rice and warm them in the microwave. They stay hot for a long time. I cover the rice pad with enough finely woven fabric so they aren't hot enough to burn the chicks.

If you can't sew, just make them out of old socks filled with rice and tie off the end.

The hot water in a soda bottle works well too.

 

[dlhunicorn]

you dont need to put them IN the box perse...you can use loose cardboard for "floor" as keeping their feet from cold and damp is extremely useful when trying to keep chicks warm (put rice sacks which have been warmed or water bottle on that and shavings on top as it might be TOO warm ) overturn a (carboard)box with an entry hole cut out (place all in a corner so you can lift if need be to check on them) as this will hold in the heat they all create by being together ,,,put something heavy on it to ensure it doesnt blow away. I have found that all my chickens (even the adult ones ) appreciated en "enclosure" of sorts to feel protected and it also helps keep the warmth in. (cardboard insulates extremely well...will keep a draft off and keep them dry too...just change if it seems damp after a time)