How old is this Chick??

[PreciousCrystal]

Yes, although it depends on the circumstances and the breed. Mine are doing fine at about 80 degrees, but I have an ecoglow where they can go under if they need more warmth. I had not wanted to put the heatlamps on them but then yesterday the temps plummeted and it was barely above freezing at night. (they are in an outside brooder) They let me know for sure that they were cold this morning, even with the heatlamp, so I lowered it more and now they are content at 80 degrees. I'm not seeing them go under the ecoglow much.

WHen the temps will climb again in the 70s, hopefully later this week, I'm going to take away the heat lamp again, they should be fine with those temps and the ecoglow.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that you need to observe the chick and then decide if it is too cold. It will chirp loudly if it isn't happy. It will be lethargic if it is too hot.

Can you get some other chicks to keep it company? Where are you located? I'd be willing to sell you 2 of mine but I'm not going to ship them so you would need to be in driving distance. I'm in Frederick, MD. Mine are straight run though, so it's a crap shoot what you will get, male or female. I'm not able/willing to sex them.

Thank you, but two is all I wanted. They hopefully will keep each other company. It's plenty warm outside, here in Colorado. 80 degrees. so the nest boxes are hovering round 90. 100 when it was in full fun at noon. Just right for babies, probably too hot for Millie the broody hen.

 

[aoxa]

Thank you. The broody hen is now back on the nest after being off of it all day. she must be having a hard time deciding if she wants a family life or to be single. I have the chicks in a brooder and am going to try to sneak them in her nest tonight. hopefully she'll take them.
Sorry about your loss. =( Our animals are our family aren't they?

Yes they are!

I hope she accepts them as well. I have had a broody hen accept 2 week old chicks as her own. It does not always go that well though.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

They should be fine at 50-60F with the ecoglow. My chicks are, and they are just 3 days old

I had a barn fire and lost 200 animals, so I refuse to ever use a heat lamp again. They are so dangerous.. make sure you are not using extension cords at all and have them properly mounted.

at one week old chicks should be at 85F under the heat lamp, with cool off room. That's if you use a heat lamp. The eco glow works differently. It heats the chicks and not the bedding, and does not pose a fire risk.

Well, they were not fine. And they let me know it. They were piling on top of each other under the ecoglow on the lowest slot and were moving it around. Temps went down to just above freezing last night with the same today. I put the ecoglow in the middle slot and provided 2 heatlamps, that got the temp in the brooder to about 70-80 degrees at one end. One of the lamps is on a timer and will go out at 8 pm and will come back on at 4 am when it is coldest. Both heatlamps are fastened with metal chains to the rafters of the brooder connected by a metal clip. No way that any one of them can fall. They are on a approved outside extension cord. I think I'm ok and I took prudent steps to prevent disaster.

Temps will go up again to the 70s and 80s this week, with lows in the 50s. They'll be fine w/out the heatlamps then. I just had no way of bringing them inside these two nights. So heatlamps it was.

 

[amnich]

Don't let the age of the chicks worry you, if the hen takes them or not is really dependent on her personality. For instance, this past January I went to a poultry convention where I got one group of 1-3 day old silkie chicks and put them with a silkie hen. I got another group of maybe three week old wyandotte chicks who I put with a silkie hen. Both hens took the chicks in, even though the old-ish wyandotte chicks were nearly as big as my silkie. Now that the silkie babies are grown, I used the same silkie I had used with the 1-3 day old chicks with an order of 1-3 day old chicks that came in this past week, and she wanted nothing to do with them. I think it really depends what mood your chicken is in.

 

[aoxa]

Well, they were not fine. And they let me know it. They were piling on top of each other under the ecoglow on the lowest slot and were moving it around. Temps went down to just above freezing last night with the same today. I put the ecoglow in the middle slot and provided 2 heatlamps, that got the temp in the brooder to about 70-80 degrees at one end. One of the lamps is on a timer and will go out at 8 pm and will come back on at 4 am when it is coldest. Both heatlamps are fastened with metal chains to the rafters of the brooder connected by a metal clip. No way that any one of them can fall. They are on a approved outside extension cord. I think I'm ok and I took prudent steps to prevent disaster.

Temps will go up again to the 70s and 80s this week, with lows in the 50s. They'll be fine w/out the heatlamps then. I just had no way of bringing them inside these two nights. So heatlamps it was.

I said with 50-60 without heat lamp, not in the 30s. You were right to put additional heat, but above 50 you should be able to use the ecoglow exclusively. That is what the product is intended for, and I use it in our basement where temps are often in the 50's.

The fire marshall told me NO extension cords are safe with heat lamps. They should be plugged directly into GFI outlets.

You think you are fine, and than disaster strikes. I know of two others that lost their barns this winter.

 

[PreciousCrystal]

Don't let the age of the chicks worry you, if the hen takes them or not is really dependent on her personality. For instance, this past January I went to a poultry convention where I got one group of 1-3 day old silkie chicks and put them with a silkie hen. I got another group of maybe three week old wyandotte chicks who I put with a silkie hen. Both hens took the chicks in, even though the old-ish wyandotte chicks were nearly as big as my silkie. Now that the silkie babies are grown, I used the same silkie I had used with the 1-3 day old chicks with an order of 1-3 day old chicks that came in this past week, and she wanted nothing to do with them. I think it really depends what mood your chicken is in.

I snuck them in last night. I heard a little chirping from the babies and then it was quiet so I left them to be.
A the earliest light I looked out. Millie (the thought to be broody hen) was off the nest pecking around as if nothing happened. I ran to the nest found two babies asleep. took them out of the nest & Millie didn't squawk or run over to the nesting boxes, or any sign that she was protecting her babies from me. So I brought them inside and put them in the brooder thinking they'd be cold (it's about 70ish outside) they don't look pecked at. still sleepy. I saw Millie go back in the hen house for a moment but was right back out side again with our other chicken.
So am I right at saying the adoption didn't work? and I should just keep the chicks in the brooder?
It's as if she doesn't mind sleeping on them she just doesn't want to take care of them during the day.

 

[aoxa]

I snuck them in last night. I heard a little chirping from the babies and then it was quiet so I left them to be.
A the earliest light I looked out. Millie (the thought to be broody hen) was off the nest pecking around as if nothing happened. I ran to the nest found two babies asleep. took them out of the nest & Millie didn't squawk or run over to the nesting boxes, or any sign that she was protecting her babies from me. So I brought them inside and put them in the brooder thinking they'd be cold (it's about 70ish outside) they don't look pecked at. still sleepy. I saw Millie go back in the hen house for a moment but was right back out side again with our other chicken.
So am I right at saying the adoption didn't work? and I should just keep the chicks in the brooder?
It's as if she doesn't mind sleeping on them she just doesn't want to take care of them during the day.

She wants the easy part of parenting...

Sounds like we need to send the social workers in...

 

[PreciousCrystal]

She wants the easy part of parenting...

Sounds like we need to send the social workers in...

if only I could!!!
Should I just keep them in the brooder? I'm thinking it's too stressful to go back and forth for the poor chicks.

 

[aoxa]

if only I could!!!
Should I just keep them in the brooder? I'm thinking it's too stressful to go back and forth for the poor chicks.

I'd just brood them myself. Clearly she doesn't want anything to do with them.

A real broody will cluck to her chicks.

Is she not just in there during the night? Maybe the nest box is her preferred place to sleep?

 

[amnich]

I snuck them in last night. I heard a little chirping from the babies and then it was quiet so I left them to be.
A the earliest light I looked out. Millie (the thought to be broody hen) was off the nest pecking around as if nothing happened. I ran to the nest found two babies asleep. took them out of the nest & Millie didn't squawk or run over to the nesting boxes, or any sign that she was protecting her babies from me. So I brought them inside and put them in the brooder thinking they'd be cold (it's about 70ish outside) they don't look pecked at. still sleepy. I saw Millie go back in the hen house for a moment but was right back out side again with our other chicken.
So am I right at saying the adoption didn't work? and I should just keep the chicks in the brooder?
It's as if she doesn't mind sleeping on them she just doesn't want to take care of them during the day.

You could brood them yourself if that makes you feel better. I would hate to tell you that you should keep them with her, and then have her hurt them. It sounds a little like she might be distracted by the other hens, so maybe if you brought them all inside (if that's an option for you) she might pay more attention to the babies. Sometimes broody hens realize they don't actually want babies until they have them. One of my broody hens sat on eggs for all 21 days and then decided she was done and wanted nothing to do with motherhood. I don't want this to become a huge ordeal for you, it might just be easier and less stressful if you brood them.