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

[dyorto]

No tail feathers are roos....  Hens develop all their feathers more quickly.  If you band them now you will see.  Wellies get very substantial legs so make sure to check fit and change out the bands as they grow.

Zip ties work....

This has been accurate for me in my very small previous sample. With my current group, 5/6 have very developed tail feathers at 3 weeks. I'm curious to see if that will be the case. I don't see many other traits yet though

 

[ShrekDawg]

The "V" shape on top of their heads (for Welsummers) are pointed for females and less so for males
Here's a pic

Ohhhh okay!!! I thought you meant the neck ones, didn't realize wellies had a v whoops haha I didn't have any so that's probably why

 

[COChix]

Yep, I ended up with 10 from hatch...and the 6 from the Mill........and all 16 moved out to the coop this afternoon!! Reworked the legs to fit in that groove on underside of crate tray...which sits on a couple inches of straw and a couple bricks. After taking chicks out realized legs were too short, so had to quick cut some threaded rod(thank goodness I had some) to the right length. Couldn't use the board on top because of new extra long legs, so went back to a towel. But we got it done and they got over the huge environment change, found the heat for their backs, and after about an hour were flitting around eating, drinking, running around with wood shavings on their beaks, then dashing back in for a warm up. It's about 40 or so out there now, supposed to get down to 35 tonite....I'll be out there late tonite and very early tomorrow to make sure their not all dead(tongue in cheek). [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR] Brought their same feeders and waterer and tote lid out. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR]

Cute congrats on a successful hatch! Nice set up, hoping to get our outside tomorrow

 

[dyorto]

I just found out that my coop is going to be delayed even longer because of the windows... so I think I will have to move my 3 weeks out to the garage with the MHP for a bit and then ween them off to get use to the cold. That way I can move them to my tiny coop I had last year for a bit until my big coop is delivered and ready for business. The small coop is designed for only 3 birds max, but I figure it will be ok for 6 little ones for a short period of time. It's probably better that way anyway, because it has a fully enclosed run, a very small one, but at least I wouldn't worry about a hawk or anything. We have a large run area, but it's just a 6 foot fence all around with nothing on the top. It sounds like I might want to look at adding an enclosed area though according to the stuff I read

 

[Jensownzoo]

Moved my bigger 3-4 week olds out to the second 10x10 dog kennel today with an MHP made from a hard lectro-kennel pad and a wooden frame. There's a narrower opening in front and a larger one in back...the one in back I've mostly buried in straw. I put a few of them under MHP figuring they'd teach the others about the warmth. They had a grand old time in the sun, flapping around, running at top speed. I noticed towards the end of the day they were all huddled together in the sun, fluffed up like they were cold. So I had to block off the front of MHP with a board and grab them one by one and put them in the back, holding my hand over the opening for a count of five until they realized it was warm and settled down. Every single one of them like this...but now at least they all have spent time under it and know. I removed the board and took this picture:

And here they are earlier, enjoying the sunshine:

 

[eagrbeavr]

Jen that looks great. Isnt this just a hoot brooding like this? I wish they didnt grow so fast

 

[aart]

Moved my bigger 3-4 week olds out to the second 10x10 dog kennel today with an MHP made from a hard lectro-kennel pad and a wooden frame. There's a narrower opening in front and a larger one in back...the one in back I've mostly buried in straw. I put a few of them under MHP figuring they'd teach the others about the warmth. They had a grand old time in the sun, flapping around, running at top speed. I noticed towards the end of the day they were all huddled together in the sun, fluffed up like they were cold. So I had to block off the front of MHP with a board and grab them one by one and put them in the back, holding my hand over the opening for a count of five until they realized it was warm and settled down. Every single one of them like this...but now at least they all have spent time under it and know. I removed the board and took this picture:



And here they are earlier, enjoying the sunshine:

Curious, why taller in back rather than front?
Any pics taken while building, before you covered with straw?

 

[beautifulpirate]

So the coop should be finished this week. BUT, we are clearing our 2.5 acres, by hand. It's gonna take a long time. And I really like to dream about what we are going to do with it all. We lived in an apartment before so our tiny 2.5 acres seems like something huge haha. Anyway, I already started planning the "dream" chicken coop if we decide to expand in a couple years (I sincerely enjoy drawing plans and diagrams) and it has a designated MHP area designed into it haha. MHP forever!

 

[bruceha2000]

I just found out that my coop is going to be delayed even longer because of the windows... so I think I will have to move my 3 weeks out to the garage with the MHP for a bit and then ween them off to get use to the cold. That way I can move them to my tiny coop I had last year for a bit until my big coop is delivered and ready for business. The small coop is designed for only 3 birds max, but I figure it will be ok for 6 little ones for a short period of time. It's probably better that way anyway, because it has a fully enclosed run, a very small one, but at least I wouldn't worry about a hawk or anything. We have a large run area, but it's just a 6 foot fence all around with nothing on the top. It sounds like I might want to look at adding an enclosed area though according to the stuff I read

Given their age, they will be fine in the small coop for some time.

Quote:

I had the same thought. If it is higher in the back and the back is stuffed with straw, how are the chicks supposed to get in? Sounds backwards to me. And why block off the front???? If they were huddled together in the sun, it was either because they were cold or doing what chicks do, sitting close together for a feeling of safety. If there is wind blowing through the cave, you need to block it, but not right at the entrance.

 

[eagrbeavr]

maybe what shes saying with having her cave backwards is they use the back as the entrance. I think what she means with the straw is she has it built up but not against it, so they can burrow in, or maybe one side is open. Maybe she justs needs to clarify