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

[aart]

Quote: That's why I went with a flat rack.

 

[Vian]

I threw one or two of my chicks into the cave the first night, but they ran right back out. Then I just left them with that as their only heat source all night and in the morning they were all huddled underneath it. I didn't really have to "teach" them, they found it on their own.

 

[Blooie]

Today was a good day. Pulled all the straw out from the cave and put in fresh. Also stirred around the bedding in their run. While I was working in there, we opened their pen and them mingle with the Bigs. It went really well. So it won't be too much longer and I'll begin leaving their door open just enough for the Littles to get in but not enough for the Bigs to follow them.

There is one chick who wants to be wherever I am....haven't had that before. But she's gonna get herself into trouble doing that. She is the one who is constantly getting out. Today I took out the piece of wood that held their food and waterer suspended and just hung them from the top of the cattle panel above their pen. Then Ken made a little roost for them. But Turtles (don't ask me, Katie named that one!) found a spot to sit to watch me despite that wood being gone. There is a bow right there in the hardware cloth, just because of how the bottom of the e-pen is bent, and that's where she decided to be. So after the video was taken we wired that upper part tighter. I was afraid she'd drop down in between the hardware cloth and the fencing and get trapped.

 

[Blooie]

Just a few pictures of the introductions today.



Kat, Turtles and one which is still nameless.


Kat and Turtles...


Scout - looks like he's trying to figure out how those other chicks got between the wall of the run and their pen!


A couple of brave chicks actually went all the way outside with the girls. Daphne is the black and white Big and Gladys is the gold Big. The Littles are Turtles and an unnamed EE.


Gladys in the pen with a couple of the Littles.

 

[perchie.girl]

@Blooie

such sweet pictures and excellent example of good socialization.

deb

 

[Blooie]

Thanks, Deb. I was so pleased today - even Scout was interested but not hostile toward them. And the Littles weren't afraid of the Bigs, either. We'll keep doing this for a few more days and then we hope in another week or so to be able to keep the pen open a little bit so they can go in and out, but the Bigs can't follow them.

 

[aart]

That's very interesting that those little chicks mingled with the big birds without any hostility.
Makes me really look forward to trying the same thing here in a few weeks(got a batch in the bator).

Your coop and brooder setup is excellent!

Thinks your little friend may be a male, got some comb on it?

 

[Blooie]

That's very interesting that those little chicks mingled with the big birds without any hostility.
Makes me really look forward to trying the same thing here in a few weeks(got a batch in the bator).

Your coop and brooder setup is excellent!

Thinks your little friend may be a male, got some comb on it?

aart - shhhhhhh!

 

[aart]

Quote: Just start calling it (him) 'Dinner'.

 

[Blooie]

Supervised visit didn't go as well today as it did yesterday. Kat, Scout, Daphne and Mathilda were still great with them, and the others totally ignored them. But Agatha (the only one I've ever had go broody before) was a first class witch! She'd actually chase them down just to peck them. She got picked up and held upside down a couple of times to remind her who is the head hen around here, but it was too late for the Littles - they all made a beeline back into their pen and stayed put. Doggone it. Well, we'll try again tomorrow.

I turned the heating pad down too. Forgot to do that yesterday. It's down to 3, and will go down to 2 soon. They are rarely under it anyway. They had a great time with their second clump of sod - they had it broken down in no time and loved dust bathing in the dirt they knocked off. I'm just loving watching them become chickens with no fussing on my part.