MJ's little flock

[RoyalChick]

Last night some experiments in staying out late commenced.

Nice relocation technique.
And I love their little voices.

 

[RoyalChick]

@BY Bob and @RoyalChick I know you both have lots of experience with heat plates. I'm thinking of leaving the heat plate with the chicks until a week of them not using it has passed - I'll be able to tell from morning poop placement. Do you consider a week an adequate timeframe to ensure they're OK without heat? I would rather rely on what the chicks themselves indicate than guidelines like age, as they appear to be maturing at different rates.

I am sure they are past using it and a week seems a sensible precaution. I actually left mine out but unplugged as it had become central to their social circle (sitting on top rather than under).

 

[BY Bob]

I just got climbed on by two chicks! I thought the video was running but I somehow knocked it off in my bewilderment the vulture was on my knee and an Australorp was on my head!!

How wonderful!

 

[BY Bob]

She was hot yesterday, either sitting around panting, or standing with her tail down. I gave her her anti-inflammatory a bit earlier, and it cooled down, and she was quite animated this morning.

Thanks for asking!

That sounds very positive!

 

[BY Bob]

@BY Bob and @RoyalChick I know you both have lots of experience with heat plates. I'm thinking of leaving the heat plate with the chicks until a week of them not using it has passed - I'll be able to tell from morning poop placement. Do you consider a week an adequate timeframe to ensure they're OK without heat? I would rather rely on what the chicks themselves indicate than guidelines like age, as they appear to be maturing at different rates.

Once they are 6 weeks old I usually take the heat away and relocate them outside. This is because they are usually fully feathered. If the weather is going to be unusually cold I might leave the heat plate outside with them hooked up just in case.

A week of no usage is plenty for me. That will be a fine indicator.

 

[MaryJanet]

Nice relocation technique.
And I love their little voices.

I'm just flummoxed by how easy to handle these four are. They have very little distrust of me.

They're very sweet little chickens. I suspect today's hot weather will drive their drinking up and that the subsequent poops will be soft.

 

[MaryJanet]

I am sure they are past using it and a week seems a sensible precaution. I actually left mine out but unplugged as it had become central to their social circle (sitting on top rather than under).

This week's temperature will reach the low 30s most days with overnight lows in the teens. So I'm very interested to see if the heat plate gets any use. Tuesday night/ Wednesday morning will be the coldest, so if they're going to use the heat plate at all I expect that'll be when they do.

 

[MaryJanet]

How wonderful!

It was such a lovely surprise! I was blown away.

 

[MaryJanet]

Once they are 6 weeks old I usually take the heat away and relocate them outside. This is because they are usually fully feathered. If the weather is going to be unusually cold I might leave the heat plate outside with them hooked up just in case.

A week of no usage is plenty for me. That will be a fine indicator.

Well, they should be six weeks on Thursday, but the Australorps are still carrying a lot of down and I suspect the Sussex are a few days older - they might be six weeks already.

I'll keep reading the morning poops and give it a week of no heat plate poops before turning it off and taking it away.

 

[MaryJanet]

Today's my first day of leave, although I'll have to work this afternoon. Anyway, I promised myself a beach walk and maybe a swim every morning while I'm off work, that way it'll feel like a holiday

So I got up really early to get out before my morning chicken chores, hopped in the car (normally I'd walk but it was a rather warm morning) and off I went. Halfway there I thought huh, what's that noise? A bit further on I thought it was maybe a flat tyre? I parked at the beach and, yep, flat tyre. I seem to recall dad telling me to never drive on a flat tyre, but I went ahead and drove slowly home again. Mainly because I didn't have drinking water with me and I knew I'd need some if I was going to be changing a tyre. I was delighted to discover all the necessary equipment in the boot and I got my morning exercise by changing the tyre.

Anyway... At least it all happened before the sun came up so I didn't get roasted, only a little simmered

What an eventful start to Christmas hols!