New babies coming this week, Questions

I believe they need 95 degrees the first week then you can decrease by 5 degrees a week there after...so maybe put a thermometer in the brooder and see if the brooder is warm enough ... good luck with your new fuzzie butts

 

If your brooder is big enough you can situate your heat lamp at one end of it so the chicks can move closer or farther away if they get cold or too hot. They will literally tell you if they are uncomfortable by non-stop chirping. Sounds like you have a nice mixture and as far as I know, thats up to you and what you like. I have a Buff Orp. roo that is really sweet. I hope yours is too...

 

Part of it depends on where your brooder is. Is it in the air conditioning, a cool building or where it can heat up? I personally like to do as was suggested, keep one area in the correct temperature range, between 90 and 95 the first week, dropping about 5 degrees a week until they are fully feathered out around 4 to 5 weeks old. Once they are fully feathered they don't need supplemental heat. I do strongly believe you need to keep the rest of the brooder cooler so they can get relief if they get too hot. Heat is more of a danger to them than cool, as long as you don't take it to extremes. 16 chicks can huddle together and provide each other with a lot of warmth if they need it but it is hard for them to cool off. They also like to snuggle up close at night for the moral support, even if it is hot. During the day there is a good chance they don't need any additional heat and probably not much at night. They are a lot tougher and more adaptable than many people realize.

I think you made a great selection in breeds. That will be a pretty flock and they should be decent egg layers.

To keep them happy and healthy in the winter, give them plenty of room. There will probably be some days they will not want to go outside in the run. It is not the cold, but they usually don't like snow or wind. I suggest a coop with at least 4 square feet per chicken. This should be enough for those days they cannot go outside. I'd suggest covering part of your run and putting up some shielding on the sides so at least part of your run stays snow free and they get some wind protection. I took this photo last winter when it was 8* F outside. As long as the ground is not covered with snow and the wind is not hitting them, mine enjoy being outside in cold weather.

 

I second the idea of a protection in the run from the wind. In the winter, I also make sure there is a pile of hay in the run, then when it snows, I pitch the hay on top of the snow, and mine will spend most of the day outside in the sunshine and fresh air, which I think is healthier.

I have a black plastic box, (it was a box insert for a pick up truck). I turned it on its side and proped the lids open. In the winter, I lean a window against it, and they have a sun porch. It is often 10 degrees warmer in there. Keeping them out of the coop for more of the daytime, keeps your coop cleaner.

In the winter, they will need more feed on the days that it is colder. And it helps if you send them to bed with full crops. Scratch is good in the early afternoon, so they can do that.

You need enough hens in your coop to make heat, but not too many hens that cause pecking order problems. The measurements are a guide, and after a while, you get a sense when your flock is the most content.

Mrs.K