Illinois...

[BReeder!]

I need to get the larger chicks outside, but it's too cold. The brooder is getting cramped and gets dirty quickly with the larger poops. I wasn't too sweet the dog cage up and move them in there for look-don't-touch integration. Then the two orp chicks would be left in the brooder with plenty of room.

In more chicken news, we got two fairy eggs (tiny) in the past week. Each came from a different bird I'm pretty sure based on color. One was from my infrequent layer cuckoo marans, A'hole.

I have come to a decision to cull two drakes due to an excess in our small raft of ducks. I intend to finally process the quail at the same time. I'm hoping my hands will hold up to pluck all of them. They are better prepared plucked than skinned, but it kills the fingers to pluck for an hour straight with two drakes and a dozen quail.
In addition to all that culling, DW had tossed out the idea of culling the chicken flock a bit too since we have five chicks that will soon be full-size hens. I'm not sure I want to cull egg layers though. The only bad layer is A'hole, but she's a good flock matriarch. I'll have to do some serious thinking about the chickens before I decide to cull any.

 

[cavemanrich]

Cull is a four letter word,,,,,,,,

 

[Faraday40]

I need to get the larger chicks outside, but it's too cold. The brooder is getting cramped and gets dirty quickly with the larger poops. I wasn't too sweet the dog cage up and move them in there for look-don't-touch integration. Then the two orp chicks would be left in the brooder with plenty of room.

In more chicken news, we got two fairy eggs (tiny) in the past week. Each came from a different bird I'm pretty sure based on color. One was from my infrequent layer cuckoo marans, A'hole.

I have come to a decision to cull two drakes due to an excess in our small raft of ducks. I intend to finally process the quail at the same time. I'm hoping my hands will hold up to pluck all of them. They are better prepared plucked than skinned, but it kills the fingers to pluck for an hour straight with two drakes and a dozen quail.
In addition to all that culling, DW had tossed out the idea of culling the chicken flock a bit too since we have five chicks that will soon be full-size hens. I'm not sure I want to cull egg layers though. The only bad layer is A'hole, but she's a good flock matriarch. I'll have to do some serious thinking about the chickens before I decide to cull any.

How old are the chicks? The 2 I gave you are 5 weeks. They're old enough to go outside if you can give them a heating pad. It might be worth the extension cord to get them out of the house. (Garage brooder? Another option to get them out) By 6 weeks, they should be OK with a huddle house. Basically a box in which they may cuddle & hold a bit of body heat.


Culling is hard. (Well perhaps A'hole won't be too hard for you.) There is probably a decent market right now for people wanting hens. A new home might be better for the hens as well as your fingers and conscience. Part of the reason I like selling chicks is seeing how happy families are with their new birds and then getting updates as they grow up. Many people want guaranteed females but having a hen already laying and in good health will give eggs right away without the 6-9 month wait.

If you don't mind collecting more quail eggs, I'd be happy to slip you a turkey. The quail are laying 0-2 eggs per day. The lonely only quail chick died, so I set another 9 eggs. Only 3 developed. They will go into lockdown today.

 

[Malthus]

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to say hello from the near north suburbs of Chicago! Just started with 2 hens and am having fun with it.

 

[Molpet]

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to say hello from the near north suburbs of Chicago! Just started with 2 hens and am having fun with it.

What breeds do you have?

 

[Faraday40]

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to say hello from the near north suburbs of Chicago! Just started with 2 hens and am having fun with it.

Hello!

Welcome. There are several people here from the Chicagoland area. Feel free to jump in. We talk about a variety of things - not always just chickens.

What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[Malthus]

What breeds do you have?

I have 2 silkies, that I took in from a friend.

She got the chicks as a Easter "gift" and enjoyed them as chicks but chickens are not allowed in her town so she gave them to me. She knew I had planned on getting chickens ever since I found out my town allows them but I am not quite ready for them. I've been scrambling to get everything I need together.

I have a million questions and want to do right by these two orphans. Like is 1/2 plywood thick enough to keep them warm, can I use vinyl flooring for easier clean up, should I move the nesting box down to the floor since they are so small. It's less than ideal but My kids and wife are really enjoying the chicks and my dog seems thrill to just follow them around and lay down with them.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I need to get the larger chicks outside, but it's too cold. The brooder is getting cramped and gets dirty quickly with the larger poops. I wasn't too sweet the dog cage up and move them in there for look-don't-touch integration. Then the two orp chicks would be left in the brooder with plenty of room.

In more chicken news, we got two fairy eggs (tiny) in the past week. Each came from a different bird I'm pretty sure based on color. One was from my infrequent layer cuckoo marans, A'hole.

I have come to a decision to cull two drakes due to an excess in our small raft of ducks. I intend to finally process the quail at the same time. I'm hoping my hands will hold up to pluck all of them. They are better prepared plucked than skinned, but it kills the fingers to pluck for an hour straight with two drakes and a dozen quail.
In addition to all that culling, DW had tossed out the idea of culling the chicken flock a bit too since we have five chicks that will soon be full-size hens. I'm not sure I want to cull egg layers though. The only bad layer is A'hole, but she's a good flock matriarch. I'll have to do some serious thinking about the chickens before I decide to cull any.

I had mine outside with heat lamp. The other night it was cold (41°) and rainy when I got home from work. I panicked to check on them. The heat lamp had blown out and they were actually getting rained on. I only used a kitty litter jug as nest. But honestly they seemed like they didn't care. But a brahma might be a different story. Nonetheless I put them in the garage and took back out today.

 

[Molpet]

I have 2 silkies, that I took in from a friend.

She got the chicks as a Easter "gift" and enjoyed them as chicks but chickens are not allowed in her town so she gave them to me. She knew I had planned on getting chickens ever since I found out my town allows them but I am not quite ready for them. I've been scrambling to get everything I need together.

I have a million questions and want to do right by these two orphans. Like is 1/2 plywood thick enough to keep them warm, can I use vinyl flooring for easier clean up, should I move the nesting box down to the floor since they are so small. It's less than ideal but My kids and wife are really enjoying the chicks and my dog seems thrill to just follow them around and lay down with them.

The vinyl is used by many and works good for them.
I know silkies are more delicate than the breeds I have, so I will let someone else answer that.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I have 2 silkies, that I took in from a friend.

She got the chicks as a Easter "gift" and enjoyed them as chicks but chickens are not allowed in her town so she gave them to me. She knew I had planned on getting chickens ever since I found out my town allows them but I am not quite ready for them. I've been scrambling to get everything I need together.

I have a million questions and want to do right by these two orphans. Like is 1/2 plywood thick enough to keep them warm, can I use vinyl flooring for easier clean up, should I move the nesting box down to the floor since they are so small. It's less than ideal but My kids and wife are really enjoying the chicks and my dog seems thrill to just follow them around and lay down with them.

Plywood is fine, hard to comment without knowing more. First how old are they?
Vinyl is great idea for poop board. If they can get to nest box it's fine. If they have trouble drop it. Are they laying eggs? If so they are probably old enough to not worry about so much.
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