INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[crazychick1977]

This is why I decided that if I ever brooded without a broody I would use one of the heat plates. When I unexpectedly got my current little ones...with no mamma available... I immediately purchased one of the "Comfort Chicks" from Premier (about half the price of the EcoGlo). It is a purchase I have not regretted. Normal night/day from the very beginning and they adjust the heat themselves. Never any guesses. At only 12 watts, it saves the money you spend to buy it in electricity cost. NO MORE HEAT LAMPS for me... no more fear of fires. No more screaming kiddos when the light is gone....

Even at just a few days old they would regulate whether to go under or out or half way on their own.




http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=120893&criteria=heat+plate



Thanks for sharing this! I had never even heard of this before but I'm definitely going to look into it. I've been raising chickens for a few years now and I have yet to have one of my girls go broody- of course I haven't added a rooster to the flock yet, so I'm guessing they just haven't really had a reason to. I'm adding a rooster this year, but I think I'll like this better than the heat lamp

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Hey guys. Does anyone on here have a trailer that could haul an 8x8 shed for a member in Indianapolis?

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
Here's a thread you might be interested in. Premier just started selling the plates this year and the Brinsea EcoGlow has been around for quite some time. I was going to get a Brinsea until this one came out. I like it a lot. You can adjust the legs with many different heights which you can't do as many with the Brinsea. I did set mine lower toward the back and higher toward the front like someone suggested. That way they can choose what height of plate they want to use.

The first chicks I ever got I brooded with a light. My next 2 batches were broody raised. Now I have these. This thing is incredible. The sun goes down like normal and they don't freak out and they have lots more control of how much heat they want. They like to sit on top of it which is very slightly warm but I think they like it up there because it's the high place. I usually find them on top.

I did put mine on a lamp dimmer switch because I felt it was too hot to touch. I run it reduced by 1/4 - 1/2. So it's even less wattage.

Here's that thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/848844/is-anyone-using-the-premier-heat-plate-brooder-for-chicks

 

[browncow15]

HoosierCheetah sent me directions and the part he thinks I need. I usually attempt to do these types of things myself first so I may try it tonight.  I do have a handy neighbor I just feel bad asking for help.  I know if I get in a real bind he will help me. 

Funny story (oh the lives of single women), I had a leaking toilet in my last house and youtubed how to make the repair.  It involved sticking my arms down the back of the toilet and messing with all sorts of hardware.  Prior to my leak I had put one of those blue cleaning tablets in the back of the toilet.  There was blue water EVERYWHERE and by the time I was done with my repair my arms were stained blue all the way past my elbows for a good week.....I looked like a smurf, true story. 

My home repair exploits never go super smoothly, but I am successful most of the time.  ETA (hoosiercheetah style) that i never again bought those blue toilet tablets.  You just never know when your hands are going to be all up in there and it aint easy being blue.

Lol love it! DH is in construction and pretty handy, but most repairs still require multiple trips to the store and quite a few curse words!

 

[ChickCrazed]

I successfully repaired the faucet!!! Big thanks to hoosiercheetah for sending me a link to the correct part and a very thorough article detailing every step of the process. It actually only took me about 15 minutes (the "professional" told me it would take an hour....).

Gregor was looking bad when I came home. This heat is taking a toll on him and I am gone at work 11 hours a day and am not here to prop him up in front of his water. I leave him propped in the morning and do it immediately when I get home. He wasn't eating or drinking after I got home either. I put food and water at both ends of his kennel in case he turns himself around, wrapped his legs in vet wrap in case they are getting sore from laying constantly and made him a scrambled egg and some sweet and sour cabbage (had left over from dinner) to see if that would get him eating. He wouldn't touch it until after I sprinkled some crumble on it, then he devoured it. I'll try feeding that to him his next few meals since it went over well. Tomorrow I'll give him another bath since his backside keeps getting covered in poop. Shouldn't he be improving by now? It has been five days at this point.

I did try a sling but it only lasted 12 hours, he managed to throw himself out of it. He has had three doses of poly-vi-sol at this point, and was on electrolytes and vitamin water prior to that. I have tried liver, he ate that the first day and then wouldn't eat it any more. I have had it in front of him every day since but am going to stop wasting it.

I'm just not sure what else to try and I'm really worried that dehydration will get to him if he doesn't improve soon. His poops look normal, he can move his legs fine, just can't seem to work his feet normally and is uncoordinated. What am I missing?

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

I successfully repaired the faucet!!!  Big thanks to hoosiercheetah for sending me a link to the correct part and a very thorough article detailing every step of the process.  It actually only took me about 15 minutes (the "professional" told me it would take an hour....). 

Gregor was looking bad when I came home.  This heat is taking a toll on him and I am gone at work 11 hours a day and am not here to prop him up in front of his water.  I leave him propped in the morning and do it immediately when I get home.  He wasn't eating or drinking after I got home either.  I put food and water at both ends of his kennel in case he turns himself around, wrapped his legs in vet wrap in case they are getting sore from laying constantly and made him a scrambled egg and some sweet and sour cabbage (had left over from dinner) to see if that would get him eating.  He wouldn't touch it until after I sprinkled some crumble on it, then he devoured it.  I'll try feeding that to him his next few meals since it went over well.  Tomorrow I'll give him another bath since his backside keeps getting covered in poop.  Shouldn't he be improving by now?  It has been five days at this point.  

I did try a sling but it only lasted 12 hours, he managed to throw himself out of it.  He has had three doses of poly-vi-sol at this point, and was on electrolytes and vitamin water prior to that.  I have tried liver, he ate that the first day and then wouldn't eat it any more.  I have had it in front of him every day since but am going to stop wasting it. 

I'm just not sure what else to try and I'm really worried that dehydration will get to him if he doesn't improve soon. His poops look normal, he can move his legs fine, just can't seem to work his feet normally and is uncoordinated.  What am I missing? 

It's obviously neurological. Does he have any injuries? Anything small, that could have been missed easily.

 

[ChickCrazed]

It's obviously neurological. Does he have any injuries? Anything small, that could have been missed easily.

Not that I could feel and I had my hands all over his head to get the poly-vi-sol in his beak.

 

[Thriftymom6]

[/IMG]My first BJG broody hen hatched her first chick! I'm sooo eggcited, I feel like a grandma at 32 years old! I believe it may be the white leghorn egg I put under there but it could be from the EE egg. Who knows she won't let me see if any others have hatched, but there were only three under her. We started with six and she kicked out one and the other two cracked and broke. The little fluff butt is yellow and still a bit crusty looking, but was peeking out from under mom to see the great big world! Sooooo cute

!

ETA: Pictures!!!!

That is awesome! What is your broody? I haven't had one go broody, I think it would be neat to see. Congrats

 

[Thriftymom6]

So it has been an exciting and busy week for me. I landscape and the weather has put me behind. I have been expecting a few orders of chicks one I knew would come this week and the others I thought would come later. Plus we had 6 in the incubator. Well the adorable bunch above came two days ago. I left work to go to the post office and take them home and three of the eggs had hatched as well.

That picture may be hard to make out. They were steaming up the plastic I went back to work. The kids came home from school to a house full of chicks. They were super excited. And everyone favors the mutt chicks we hatched way more than the others. So anyway. I go to work today and I have another call from the post office.

These guys traveled pretty far. So I wanted to get them in with the rest right away. The "packing peanuts" are from their lavender maran project. I can't wait to see how they feather. I still have another order coming. I may have a problem, I've become addicted to these fluff balls of joy!
On another note my beloved turkey Bob is limping. We believe he is broad breasted breed and is now developing leg problems. We are really attached to him. He is super friendly and loves to hang out with our family. We will be crushed if something happens to him. I will be sure to get a heritage breed if we ever get another.

 

[Mother2Hens]

On the Fans:
I used to use a box fan in the coop but decided it was to dangerous fire-wise since those aren't an enclosed motor and with all the dust in a chicken/barn environment I feel that they are a fire waiting to happen.

I got an :"industrial" fan that is used for garages/workshops/barns instead. During the really hot nights mine runs all night so I feel that it is much safer.

Mine is like this one:

http://www.menards.com/main/fans/commercial-fans/14-industrial-floor-fan/p-1933643-c-12728.htm

Edited to clarify - they DO make industrial, enclosed motor box fans too!

I've just never seen one that I could get from the local stores and I was assuming folks would think of the box fans that are meant for indoor use that you get at the local walmart, meijer, etc.... which shouldn't be used in dusty barn-type conditions.

I have one of those fans, too, and I love it because it sounds like an airplane and drowns out the next door neighbor's pool noise!

Good point about dust-- Fans get dusty no matter where they're located. I just get in the routine of dusting them each day when I clean up the poop. Btw, if you have compressed air to clean your computer, it's helpful in cleaning parts of the fan that are difficult to dust. (Always unplug before cleaning

). Someone just told me about spraying the fan blades and the front cover with Rain-X automotive surface spray (typically for windshields) to lesson the amount of dirt (and spider webs) that stick. We have some, so I'll try it out and report back.

I successfully repaired the faucet!!! Big thanks to hoosiercheetah for sending me a link to the correct part and a very thorough article detailing every step of the process. It actually only took me about 15 minutes (the "professional" told me it would take an hour....).

Gregor was looking bad when I came home. This heat is taking a toll on him and I am gone at work 11 hours a day and am not here to prop him up in front of his water. I leave him propped in the morning and do it immediately when I get home. He wasn't eating or drinking after I got home either. I put food and water at both ends of his kennel in case he turns himself around, wrapped his legs in vet wrap in case they are getting sore from laying constantly and made him a scrambled egg and some sweet and sour cabbage (had left over from dinner) to see if that would get him eating. He wouldn't touch it until after I sprinkled some crumble on it, then he devoured it. I'll try feeding that to him his next few meals since it went over well. Tomorrow I'll give him another bath since his backside keeps getting covered in poop. Shouldn't he be improving by now? It has been five days at this point.

I did try a sling but it only lasted 12 hours, he managed to throw himself out of it. He has had three doses of poly-vi-sol at this point, and was on electrolytes and vitamin water prior to that. I have tried liver, he ate that the first day and then wouldn't eat it any more. I have had it in front of him every day since but am going to stop wasting it.

I'm just not sure what else to try and I'm really worried that dehydration will get to him if he doesn't improve soon. His poops look normal, he can move his legs fine, just can't seem to work his feet normally and is uncoordinated. What am I missing?

ChickCrazed ~ Did you look at the Poultry Podiatry link that's on our Thread page? Poultry Podiatry - PoultryPedia - Google Sites
It has a lot of info. I haven't caught up on the thread (from Memorial Day and my Silkie's death), so I missed what happened to Gregor. Here's some neurological info from my "Chicken Health for Dummies" book, (most of which is free online if anyone googles certain sections).

My first BJG broody hen hatched her first chick! I'm sooo eggcited, I feel like a grandma at 32 years old! I believe it may be the white leghorn egg I put under there but it could be from the EE egg. Who knows she won't let me see if any others have hatched, but there were only three under her. We started with six and she kicked out one and the other two cracked and broke. The little fluff butt is yellow and still a bit crusty looking, but was peeking out from under mom to see the great big world! Sooooo cute

!

ETA: Pictures!!!!

jen214 ~ Congrats! How adorable! I just had my first broody, and it was SO exciting!
crazychick ~ As far as I know, broodiness isn't brought on by a rooster's presence. I think that it's a trait, and some breeds are more likely to "go broody" than others. Orpingtons (my broody) and Silkies are two breeds whose hens are likely to go broody.
Thriftymom~ You have your hands full with chicks! Please post photos of the lavender marans. Sounds interesting! Hope you're turkey's health improves.