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

[MesMama]

Are you doing it to make them feel better or you. I know its hard to not worry sometimes. Have some wine

Oh you know, it's totally to make myself feel better And I don't want to lose any more, especially since several of these chicks are my mom's including 2 SLW, the only ones we could get, she wanted 4. So I'm super nervous I'll lose those and she'll have to wait til next year or try to get more somewhere else.

So yeah, it's to make myself feel better

 

[MesMama]

Concrete floor pretty much says it all.  It's likely they've been trying to scratch through the bedding, as is just instinct for them, and they are kicking up a lot of dust.  I'd not worry about a little sneezing....it should resolve itself as soon as the respiratory irritant is out of the picture.  In other words, let their bedding get moisture in it so it's not so dusty...you can try wetting down the old bedding before adding new and dry stuff on top.  That may help or just letting the bedding get more soiled and retain more moisture before adding new bedding. 

This is where a deep litter system comes in real handy. 

Interesting! I guess I didn't think of that with the concrete and them scratching around so much. I would've never thought to wet it a little

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed, I can't find a post my sometimes faulty brain attributes to you. I thought you decided which birds to cull in the fall either by how late in the prior spring they started to lay, or maybe when they stopped laying in the previous fall. It was some way you anticipated the length of their next laying season.

I don't have any system wherein I can predict the length of their next laying season, so it's likely it wasn't me. I cull in the spring at peak laying time for any who are not laying or not an honorary coop broody, and I also cull in the fall sometimes for those that didn't lay well in their first laying season, went broody too often, or were extremely late in coming to POL. But none of that will tell me how long they will lay in the following year.

All of that is to help me only carry my best layers through the winter and so I won't be feeding slackers all winter long....this also makes room for any new chicks produced that same year. I'm pretty careful not to overstock my coop or land. And that, my dear chicken people, is called subtraction....I know it's a foreign concept to many folks here on BYC, but it's also a type of math that really needs practiced here.

 

[mobius]

Also thinking maybe wet the concrete floor itself...then bedding back over...should help collect dust?

 

[Blooie]

Hey, Miss Bee...does poor MesMama remind you of anyone a couple of years ago? Oh, I remember being so stressed and such a worry wort! Maybe that's why I kinda have a soft spot for her and her woes......I recognize most of them!

Um, gosh, no offense intended, MesMama.....I had just as hard a time letting go as you are. Bee and several others had to rein me in a bit too.

 

[katbriar]

I cull in the spring at peak laying time for any who are not laying...

All of that is to help me only carry my best layers through the winter and so I won't be feeding slackers all winter long....this also makes room for any new chicks produced that same year. I'm pretty careful not to overstock my coop or land. And that, my dear chicken people, is called subtraction....I know it's a foreign concept to many folks here on BYC


I think it was your approach of culling in the spring when they should be laying with the rest but aren't. Thank you for restating that. It makes sense to me.

Regarding subtraction- yes! Have to make good decisions in order to maintain a strong flock on the resources I have. And I should be responsible enough to recognize the individuals who are no longer up to the job.

I culled two based on personality alone, and while I dreaded it before hand, I never regretted it afterwards. The rest of the flock was much better off.

Thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

Sure does!!!

But....look at ya now. All hardened off and able to survive chicks without too much worry at all now.

 

[MesMama]

Hey, Miss Bee...does poor MesMama remind you of anyone a couple of years ago?  Oh, I remember being so stressed and such a worry wort!  Maybe that's why I kinda have a soft spot for her and her woes......I recognize most of them!  

Um, gosh, no offense intended, MesMama.....I had just as hard a time letting go as you are.  Bee and several others had to rein me in a bit too.

No offense taken! I KNOW I'm a worrier! The weird thing is-I was just feeling confident and then this sneezing thing WHOP! There goes any confidence I wa feeling LOL!

So I went down to check and those poor babies SMH, no one was under, they were on top, in front, on the sides...their crazy human mama was apparently trying to roast them! Lol! So I apologized and turned it back down.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Have two.... I will enjoy vicariously.....

 

[eagrbeavr]

Oh you know, it's totally to make myself feel better

And I don't want to lose any more, especially since several of these chicks are my mom's including 2 SLW, the only ones we could get, she wanted 4. So I'm super nervous I'll lose those and she'll have to wait til next year or try to get more somewhere else.

So yeah, it's to make myself feel better

Aw.. Well try to have some faith. You're doing fine. Remember, if theyre not happy, you'll know. They'll scream their heads off. And instead of focusing on what can go wrong, picture it going right.