Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Maah]

Hello my fellow Michiganders!

My name is Stephanie and I'm new to BYC and new to raising chickens too!

My husband Aaron and I just got our first dozen chicks tonight.

We are looking forward to this adventure. I'm sure I will have tons of questions from those of you who have experience raising chickens. If you're willing to answer them that is.

 

[Herducks]

Hello my fellow Michiganders!

My name is Stephanie and I'm new to BYC and new to raising chickens too!

My husband Aaron and I just got our first dozen chicks tonight.

We are looking forward to this adventure. I'm sure I will have tons of questions from those of you who have experience raising chickens. If you're willing to answer them that is.

Very friendly and helpful group here!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Oh - I suppose it may not be easy to find 100 watt bulbs anymore. I have a few left and I still see them sold at stores around here. I switched to a 75 within a week so maybe you could start with that and put it closer? It took 15 minutes or so to reach 90° under the lamp.
So now I have a question. My roosters are balding the heads of several my beautiful hens! The boys are about six months old and have only been "practicing" for a month. Do they get better at this so they won't tear out the feathers? I made aprons for the hens although their backs are fine - just their heads look awful! They need bonnets. The boys do their silly dance, girls start to run or attack the roos, so they grab them by the head. It seems wrong. Do they just need practice to work out the hens' cooperation or do I have mean roosters? I have four, I plan to cull two but I was hoping to wait til I figured out which ones were the nicest with the hens. The two that seem the roughest also are the main roosters in charge so far. They're all very people friendly. So is this something they outgrow or no?

 

[tjbeckman]

Hello my fellow Michiganders!

My name is Stephanie and I'm new to BYC and new to raising chickens too!

My husband Aaron and I just got our first dozen chicks tonight.

We are looking forward to this adventure. I'm sure I will have tons of questions from those of you who have experience raising chickens. If you're willing to answer them that is.

Welcome!

 

[DimondaleBergs]

I used a 100 watt bulb in a brooder lamp (it says it can use up to 300 watts). I put a thermometer on the brooder floor and lowered the light until it read 90° right under the light. I think it was about 18" off the floor to start and raised it a little every few days and slowly reduced the wattage. Make sure to double secure it like mentioned earlier in the thread.

I got a heat lamp with my chicks tonight from TSC. The bulb they had right there with all the chick supplies was a 250watts. When do I start moving the lamp to reduce the temperature in the cage? I'm not positive how old the chicks are. I'm thinking a couple of days? How often do I reduce the temp in there and do I change from the red bulb to a regular bulb to do this or keep using the red bulb?

I don't want to do anything wrong. lol

 

[Wrightsx4]

Watch the chicks. They will let you know - if they huddle under the light (peeping loudly) and won't venture away for food it water they're too cold. Once they start sleeping spread out away from the light it's time to reduce or lift the light. Once I set it up initially I never checked temp with a thermometer again. I stressed a lot too, as last fall was my first time with babies.

 

[DimondaleBergs]

Watch the chicks. They will let you know - if they huddle under the light (peeping loudly) and won't venture away for food it water they're too cold. Once they start sleeping spread out away from the light it's time to reduce or lift the light. Once I set it up initially I never checked temp with a thermometer again. I stressed a lot too, as last fall was my first time with babies.

Thanks I'm copying this info because I KNOW I'll forget and ask again! lol

 

[ChicwannaB]

Hello my fellow Michiganders!

My name is Stephanie and I'm new to BYC and new to raising chickens too!

My husband Aaron and I just got our first dozen chicks tonight.

We are looking forward to this adventure. I'm sure I will have tons of questions from those of you who have experience raising chickens. If you're willing to answer them that is.

Hello D-bergs, you're gonna have so much fun.
I haven't been on in a long while, tend to hibernate and sew or crochet during the winter. You'd think I'd be on the computer more but I sure haven't been.
What type of chicks did you get?? I'm up near Bay City and have a mixed flock with 3 roosters in it. 2 have started fighting and I'm looking forward to a friend taking one off my hands ASAP. It can be hard to rehome them. Hope you got a lot of little girls. Your first egg will be so eggciting for you.
Welcome to BYC.

 

[Wrightsx4]

It's okay - ask as much as you need to. There are lots of helpful people on this site (with way more experience than me!) Maybe if you post pics of the chicks someone can estimate how old? Baby chick pictures are always welcome

 

[RaZ]

I got a heat lamp with my chicks tonight from TSC. The bulb they had right there with all the chick supplies was a 250watts. When do I start moving the lamp to reduce the temperature in the cage? I'm not positive how old the chicks are. I'm thinking a couple of days? How often do I reduce the temp in there and do I change from the red bulb to a regular bulb to do this or keep using the red bulb?

I don't want to do anything wrong. lol

Start at 90 - 95 degrees F. Lower the temp 5 degrees every week. Keep the red bulb all that time. The chicks are ready for outside when the temperature is around 60 and they are fully feathered.

That is the standard practice, some people do things a number of different ways and have success. I'm sure you will get conflicting opinions as you learn and grow.

Good luck and welcome.