How are your chicks doing?

[Farmgirl283420]

Sorry got busy and forgot. Sadly only one egg hatched?! I think it’s because I had goose eggs in with them and in my experience putting goose eggs and chicken eggs together cause the chicken eggs to die. Anyway to the babies…
The chick is about 2 weeks old. Here’s a pic when it hatched. Her feathers are coming in barred
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And I had to buy her some friend because she was the only one to hatch.
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And some more friend!
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In total I’ve got 3 standard EE, 5 Mille Fleur D’Uccles, 1 Fawn OEB, 5 partridge silkies, and my one little hatchling.

Oh my so cute!!!!! (Chicken math!!)

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I have 5 in the brooder, 5 days old: Cuckoo Marans, Lav Orp, Creme Legbar, OE, EE. And I have to state for the record that for the 20th year, I'm raising them in temps of *80 under the MHP and *70 ambient in the brooder (1 day old to 1 week old.) They'll move to outdoor brooder with expected temps of *40 to *60 and MHP. They are thriving. I am more than confident that chicks have never needed temp's in excess of *85.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I have 5 in the brooder, 5 days old: Cuckoo Marans, Lav Orp, Creme Legbar, OE, EE. And I have to state for the record that for the 20th year, I'm raising them in temps of *80 under the MHP and *70 ambient in the brooder (1 day old to 1 week old.) They'll move to outdoor brooder with expected temps of *40 to *60 and MHP. They are thriving. I am more than confident that chicks have never needed temp's in excess of *85.

Ooooh do you have pics??? That's very interesting let me know how it works!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Ooooh do you have pics??? That's very interesting let me know how it works!

Glad you find it interesting! I learned about it years ago from Blooie! Her thread is all you need, many creative ways to DIY your own MHP. I keep trying to switch to a heating plate, but every year I wind up pulling out the MHP instead because it's truly the right temp for chicks. My heat plate seems way to hot. http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update I use a Sunbeam, no shut off. It's attached via fence wire to a small metal rack (the kind you use in kitchen cabinets.) Then I put the whole thing in a pillow case and use little bungies to keep the pillow case close to the rack. It's truly such a game changer to not need red hot heat lamps. They have all the heat they need under the MHP, just like a real Chicken mom. This is last years crew, I need to get some pics of this years.... Also I used attached the heating pad UNDER the wire frame this year instead of over. That way their little backs are touching the heat.

First week (or 2 if super cold,) inside my shed

Outdoor baby brooder room. When they're taller the MPH goes over this wooden box. At that point they either get under it or roost on top of it.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Ooooh that’s so cool maybe I’ll try it for my next batch of chicks!!