Maine

[IZZYBELLA]

Oh my goodness, CoopChick, that is scary! I have locked myself more times than I care to admit, but in weather like this it's a total game-changer. Glad you are ok!

We haven't gotten much below zero, but I don't think we got much above 10 today. I heated the coop last year with a heat lamp, but I haven't this year. My husband keeps telling me to turn it on, but I was literally having trouble sleeping fearing fires... the dust builds up so quickly. Also, it didn't seem to heat the coop more than a few degrees, so I'm not sure there was much of a point anyway! They seem to be doing fine without it so far, but I'll see.

My only complaint: 2 out of 3 eggs cracked today... I didn't get out to collect in time!

Good luck with the dig out, all!

 

[TayFray!]

Been awhile since i've been on here, but I am very excited for the swaps coming up! I know the augusta one will be the last weekend in march (weather depending) but does anyone know of any others like wilton, or surrounding areas?

 

[sparrowsnest]

I posted this in the 'Raising Baby Chickens' forum, but then I thought you guys would probably know more than anybody, so cross posting-
Our hens have decided that January/February in N Maine is the time to hatch chicks. We've had 5 hatch two weeks ago and we brought them inside to a dog cage in the kitchen. We have a large box in the barn that we built out of old window screens last year, but its too big to bring inside. Another hen is broody and I candled a couple of the eggs and we'll probably have more by the end of the week. A neighbor gave us a 50's Hudson brooder that I am going to use if we hatch more. Just want to double check that I shouldn't put any new chicks with the older chicks yet? Also, how long should I wait to move them to the larger brooder/grow out box in the barn(with a heat lamp)? This is our first time hatching our own. I would have liked to have kept them with the mamas, but space and temps aren't allowing that right now. Also, the brooder has a mesh floor with a tray underneath to catch the droppings. Will this be ok? I've always had the chicks in a box with shavings. Thanks for any advice.

 

[suzMEchicks]

Hi just got done shoveling the chicken area out. Then I thought of all you guys and wondered how you were making out with this weather. I have one more thing to say about design flaws although there are many. The pitch on my roof is in the wrong place too. The snow eventually slides off but it piles up right in front of the little outside access door to the nests. If I don't keep up with it that whole side can get buried. Its too hard to get the eggs any other way. This light fluffy stuff doesn't slide off so easy so I just raked about 3 feet. Then the run was 4 feet deep with drifts so I shoveled half of it.They can't stay cooped up in the coop forever! The poor things are looking ragged.They probably need a dust bath badly. The leghorn's combs have a little frostbite on the tips. Well take care and stay warm!

 

[buckabucka]

I posted this in the 'Raising Baby Chickens' forum, but then I thought you guys would probably know more than anybody, so cross posting-
[COLOR=333333]Our hens have decided that January/February in N Maine is the time to hatch chicks.  We've had 5 hatch two weeks ago and we brought them inside to a dog cage in the kitchen.  We have a large box in the barn that we built out of old window screens last year, but its too big to bring inside.  Another hen is broody and I candled a couple of the eggs and we'll probably have more by the end of the week.  A neighbor gave us a 50's Hudson brooder that I am going to use if we hatch more.  Just want to double check that I shouldn't put any new chicks with the older chicks yet?  Also, how long should I wait to move them to the larger brooder/grow out box in the barn(with a heat lamp)?   This is our first time hatching our own.  I would have liked to have kept them with the mamas, but space and temps aren't allowing that right now.  Also, the brooder has a mesh floor with a tray underneath to catch the droppings.  Will this be ok?  I've always had the chicks in a box with shavings.  Thanks for any advice.  [/COLOR]

I've never raised chicks in the winter, but if you are providing a heat lamp, I would think they could go outside by three weeks old. SCG may chime in here, -she raises chicks in the winter. I believe they are pretty tough, as long as there is a heat source.
I can't think of any problems with the mesh brooder floor. Chicks do like to scratch in the shavings though, so I might consider providing a floor with shavings for entertainment purposes.
Good luck with them!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I posted this in the 'Raising Baby Chickens' forum, but then I thought you guys would probably know more than anybody, so cross posting-
Our hens have decided that January/February in N Maine is the time to hatch chicks. We've had 5 hatch two weeks ago and we brought them inside to a dog cage in the kitchen. We have a large box in the barn that we built out of old window screens last year, but its too big to bring inside. Another hen is broody and I candled a couple of the eggs and we'll probably have more by the end of the week. A neighbor gave us a 50's Hudson brooder that I am going to use if we hatch more. Just want to double check that I shouldn't put any new chicks with the older chicks yet? Also, how long should I wait to move them to the larger brooder/grow out box in the barn(with a heat lamp)? This is our first time hatching our own. I would have liked to have kept them with the mamas, but space and temps aren't allowing that right now. Also, the brooder has a mesh floor with a tray underneath to catch the droppings. Will this be ok? I've always had the chicks in a box with shavings. Thanks for any advice.

Sure I'll chime in. I've had broodies hatch in Dec/Jan/Feb a couple times. I've left the chicks out in the coop with mom and mom took care of everything, no heat lamp required. I did provide the food and water and a cage for them. The water froze often so I would go out and do warm water twice a day.

I also hatch in an incubator usually in January, and I have a brooder full of chicks in the living room right now (once they start to keep me up most of the night due to the parties it is time to go to the basement). The first week they get a 250 watt bulb, then get moved to a 100 watt bulb and then I either decrease to 80 or 40 or change it to only at night when the feathers on their backs and necks start to come in. This is in the house, in the somewhat stable basement that's likely around 50 to 60 degrees. If they were in an unheated barn I would use the 250 for quite some time and be sure to check them often to see how they were doing. With the temps we have right now 1 heat lamp might not be enough to overcome the cold. I don't know what a Hudson brooder is, but we use large 2x4 wooden boxes. I usually move mine out to the coop to be integrated at about 6 weeks, regardless of outside temp and the boys go into a hoop house grow out pen. I do integration in another brooding box where each group can see the other but can't touch. I do this for about a week and then let them comingle.

 

[longgrove]

. Also, the brooder has a mesh floor with a tray underneath to catch the droppings. Will this be ok? I've always had the chicks in a box with shavings. Thanks for any advice.

I know a lot of commercial brooders have the wire floor, so I guess they would survive. I did read a study that claimed an association between raising on wire and a tendency to feather picking. Also, I wonder if late introduction to scratching would impact foraging capacity.

Got the run paths shoveled out this morning, with shavings for the divas feet. They usually rush out but today they were having none of it, of course, it barely got to 5 degrees!

 

[lazy gardener]

I can say that when I brooded in my garage last spring (early april) I needed 2 x 250W lamps for a 3 x 6 brooder. I kept it very tightly wrapped with cardboard, quilts, styrofoam, cardboard. They needed those 2 lamps b/c it got very cold at night. I was constantly fiddling with the temp due to the wild swings. I'm planning to set eggs to hatch around 4/11, and will be brooding in the old coop. That should be a challenge. I'd love to see one of my gals hunker down on a clutch of eggs.

 

[sparrowsnest]

Thanks for all the input. SCG-I really wanted mama hen to take them, but I found 2/5 dead a couple feet from the nesting box and basically freaked out and grabbed the 3 that were running around the coop and took them in the house. We held vigil until the other 2 were hatched overnight and pulled them when they were dry. We'll see what happens if there's another hatch. Thanks again!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Here's what I brood in:


This is the big kid grow out pen, it's 4x4, with a nice top. By the time they're big enough to escape, you don't need the heat lamp and can close the top. Works great.


These are 2x4 brooders that work great for just starting out. They are much more mobile and easier to use than the big one above.


This is a broody box that fits in the coop, or outside if the temps are nice. It's probably 1.5x2.5 and is great for a momma and a few chicks to protect them (and their food) from the rest of the animals.


When incubating in the coop nesting boxes I put up a barrier - this slides in and is stuck in with friction. I go in once a day and let her out to go poop and eat, and then get her back in there and put the barrier back up. It protects her from the other hens, and protects the chicks when they first hatch from getting out or getting attacked until I can move them to the above.


This is the barrier removed.


Now we're getting into bad ideas. The big boxes were nice, and I was able to attach them together for an "addition" but the lack of a top was a horrific idea. Those chicks got out and pooped all over the basement.


Another adventure in bad ideas. This was my original broody cage. The top was wire and birds would get above them and poop on them. So I added cardboard. The birds took special enjoyment out of pooping on it and then destroying it. Not a great idea.


I hope these help anyone thinking of building brooders of any size. Make them easily accessible from above (and front or side, if possible) plus easily cleanable and moveable.