Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[Blooie]

You better give them extra fertilizer so they grow fast and start laying at 4 weeks

Yeah, that’s the downside….waiting for POL. But I don’t ever want to ever be in this position again.

 

[bruceha2000]

Are you going to provide light after the first winter or get new chicks every spring

 

[Blooie]

Are you going to provide light after the first winter or get new chicks every spring

The jury is out on that one, Bruce. You know I hate any kind of artificial light out there for any reason. We’ll see which way the wind blows.

 

[Molpet]

The jury is out on that one, Bruce. You know I hate any kind of artificial light out there for any reason. We’ll see which way the wind blows.

Get new chicks and in the fall sell the older ones

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I was rather enjoying not trudging through snow in the bitter cold to do chores.

Oh I feel you! I moved from Alaska to wet, rainy Wa/Oregon 20years ago but I STILL feel like I'm trying to figure out how to do chores comfortably! At first it's just about "how to," but now it's about "how to not" dread chicken chores. Maybe we need heated tunnels from house to coop? In my next life I'll just have my own Chicken Jeeves that lives on my Estate

 

[Blooie]

Get new chicks and in the fall sell the older ones

You guys are all enablers, you know that?

Oh I feel you! I moved from Alaska to wet, rainy Wa/Oregon 20years ago but I STILL feel like I'm trying to figure out how to do chores comfortably! At first it's just about "how to," but now it's about "how to not" dread chicken chores. Maybe we need heated tunnels from house to coop? In my next life I'll just have my own Chicken Jeeves that lives on my Estate

See if he has a brother!

 

[jreardon1918]

Our MHP in the brooder update. We got our chicks 4 weeks ago tomorrow. They are just over 4 weeks old. They use the MHP to play on. It is just over 60F today when this picture was taken. Tomorrow we open the chick doors and let the chicks enter the run as they please. They will be able to retreat to the brooder and have their own water and feed stations.

 

[Blooie]

Guess I’d better pay my Broody Brigade dues. I’ll get better shots tomorrow after they’ve settled in a bit.

 

[janiedoe]

Guess I’d better pay my Broody Brigade dues. I’ll get better shots tomorrow after they’ve settled in a bit.


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Congratulations Blooie & Ken!!!

 

[Blooie]

Congratulations Blooie & Ken!!!

Thanks. I really didn’t want to do this again….I was rather enjoying being free of all the chicken work, although I did miss the fresh eggs. Oh, well. In for a penny, for a pound.

Last night was their first night in the dark. There’s always that concern that they may wander away from MHP as the sun goes down, then be unable to find their way back under. So about 11:30 I went out to check on them one last time. I gently lifted the frame and they were totally flaked out, probably enjoying the first full night’s sleep they’ve ever had. Ken, of course, had to go out and check them at first light this morning. He said before he opened the door he could hear them talking to each other and hear the click of the nipples in the waterer. He did say we needed to “fine tune” MHP. Since he has obviously seen an issue I don’t see, he can darn well do it. I was happy with the way it was.