There is if you "read" the right manual.
How many baby birds do you see out there in the middle of January? None, I'm guessing. Raising chicks during the right season takes a lot of the stress out of the equation.
That's something you can put down in your learning curve manual as you start your own set of instructions, because those instructions will be stored in your own head and developed there over time as you gain experience.
1) For easier chick care, choose the time of year when baby birds are normally being born to stage your own mothering of chicks. Makes things easier.
2) If they are going to be living outside, raise them there from day one, regardless of how cool the temps may be in early spring at night. The sooner they are outdoors, the sooner they start developing the coat for being there. I take mine straight from the incubator~after they are fully dried~out to a real mom or a heating pad mama. No babying them indoors even for 24 hrs. Doesn't happen in the real setting and shouldn't happen in a fake one. If that means you go out and check them often, then so be it....takes work to have healthy animals and this is no different.
3) Get living quarters established well before you ever order a single chick. That one should probably be rule #1 and bears repeating over and over and over.
4) Watch the chicks for signs of comfort when managing the heat/brooder...never go by the 5* turn down each week. Each situation is individual and each group of birds are too, so no set temps are considered the rule of thumb.
5) If you can, it helps to place new chicks under the HP brooder in darkness...they will stay put under there better and won't come out until first light. That gives them several hours to get warmed, get used to that source as their "mama" and they will pop out of there in the morning ready to explore but they will scoot right back in there as soon as they feel a little chilled. You'll be amazed at just how long they can stay out.
6, 10, 17, 24) Have fun, don't stress it. Just insert this one in the appropriate places as you make your list of instructions. This is supposed to be easy and fun and it can be if one mimics nature as much as possible. It's when we stray far from how God designed this chick brooding to be is when things get complicated and stressful. Stay close to the original design and things stay fun, are much less work and virtually stress free.
I got chicks in winter to maximize egg laying this summer, and my coop builder was unfortunately in an accident mid build so it delayed things. I totally agree with everything you're saying, and I'm sure I will look back on this with some cringing when I have more experience ) in this thread, I will repeat: Mine were under the MHP for only 2 days and 1 night before I got them under a broody out in coop. This was early June, the night time temps got into the 50's, daytime in the 60's or higher. There was NO 95F nor even 80F.
