Minnesota!

[tarutgers]

Good morning
I am not sure if this is the correct place to post but I am looking for help from fellow Minnesotans. I received 16 Buff Orpington chicks Monday. This is our first time with chicks and we are already so addicted. We are in Southwest corner and I chose McMurray because they were close and had good reviews. My chicks took 3a day and were all healthy and alert. We have them in a brooder in the barn with a heat lamp. I have been having a bear of a time trying to keep the brooder temp stable with the crazy fluctuating temperatures Mother Nature has blessed Minnesota with. I have been raising and lowering daily until yesterday when I just left it alone. Temp went up to 97the and this morning 80from but it is supposed to het hot again today. Now here is the confusing part...the chicks themselves do not seem to act any different than they did yesterday when it got to 90. They spread out to get water to get foo and water and sleep in a pile near the light but not under it. They all look alert and healthy and are making litter content chirps. What will the long term effects of fluctuating brooder temps. Or do I need to quit worrying and maybe go leave the barn and get something productive done today? Giggle
thanks for any words of wisdom!

 

[tarutgers]

So sorry for the typos

 

[coldupnorth]

Good morning
I am not sure if this is the correct place to post but I am looking for help from fellow Minnesotans. I received 16 Buff Orpington chicks Monday. This is our first time with chicks and we are already so addicted. We are in Southwest corner and I chose McMurray because they were close and had good reviews. My chicks took 3a day and were all healthy and alert. We have them in a brooder in the barn with a heat lamp. I have been having a bear of a time trying to keep the brooder temp stable with the crazy fluctuating temperatures Mother Nature has blessed Minnesota with. I have been raising and lowering daily until yesterday when I just left it alone. Temp went up to 97the and this morning 80from but it is supposed to het hot again today. Now here is the confusing part...the chicks themselves do not seem to act any different than they did yesterday when it got to 90. They spread out to get water to get foo and water and sleep in a pile near the light but not under it. They all look alert and healthy and are making litter content chirps. What will the long term effects of fluctuating brooder temps. Or do I need to quit worrying and maybe go leave the barn and get something productive done today? Giggle
thanks for any words of wisdom!

The chicks will tell you how they are feeling by how they are acting. If they have room to get away from the heat when it gets too warm, are not piled on top of each other under the heat and are active and alert they should be just fine. Sounds like you are doing a good job!

Congrats on your babies! I love Buff Orpingtons - they were our first chickens also

 

[AvianEgo]

If you have a warm end and a cool end than you should be fine. If they are cold they will huddle under the lamp. If they are warm they will stay further away. Yes it's frustrating with the temperature fluctuations we are having

 

[tarutgers]

Thank you so much for your responses! They are so darn cute, I am in love! They are in a wooden repurposed dog house 3x4I and have the light at one end They do pile when they sleep (arms around each other) but at the edge of the lights path. They just started dust bathing this morning...how cute is that! They pile all together then everybody wakes up and eats and drinks together then chase each other alittle, they pile for another short nap. Might as well disconnect cable tv, Chicken TV is far more entertaining!

 

[AvianEgo]

WelCome to the addiction it's fun watching them grow and learn new things. And boy do they grow fast! I like to handle mine a much as possible while young. touch toes, stretch wings, touch the beak, all things to desensitize them to humane touch. So when they are older and need your attention for injury etc. you can care for them without struggling to hold them.

 

[tarutgers]

Great tip AvianEgo! I have been afraid to touch them because they seem so delicate but they are proving to be strong and hearty! Ok kids get ready for the big hand!!

 

[AvianEgo]

Snuggle time with treats are necessary too but i might take it above and beyond

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Hey! Pretty close! Did your friend apply for a license? Aside from the guidelines, they want 75 dollars for the first year permit and 50 dollars every year after. I feel like this defeats the resourcefulness of owning them for eggs.

I cannot believe they charge a permit fee to have chickens! And that high of a price. Who the heck decided that was a good idea? This is why I live where I do, I would not pay that fee. I don't even pay to license my dog. I'm supposed to, I just don't. Raising your own food (eggs or meat) should be a right, and people should not be punished with high fees in order to do it. In Maplewood you also have to have a leg band with all of your information on it. Like a dog with tags. This is insanity. We are talking about livestock here. What is this world coming to?

 

[AvianEgo]

I cannot believe they charge a permit fee to have chickens!  And that high of a price.  Who the heck decided that was a good idea?  This is why I live where I do, I would not pay that fee.  I don't even pay to license my dog.  I'm supposed to, I just don't.  Raising your own food (eggs or meat) should be a right, and people should not be punished with high fees in order to do it.  

yep. That's how i feel about it too. They probably realized how many chicken owners are I'm the city and figured they could make a profit from us.