New Babys and New member

[glencarbantam]

Hi all. I'm new here, first thread and al that jazz.

got me some little chicks and two ducklings today and I have no heat lamp but I have them on a hot water bottle and straw and a towel. They are all happy asleep and in my house. Will this do??? I searched everywhere for a heat lamp today but couldn't get one

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. You are going to be busy refilling that hot water bottle.

 

[CluckerCottage]

You need to buy or make a roomy brooder, get a heat lamp and a thermometer.
Follow this chart.

Welcome to BYC. I hope that you will do a lot of reading on how best to care for your chicks and ducklings.

 

[SueT]

A 40 or 60 watt incandescent regular old fashioned light bulb in a desk lamp will do...or better yet do you have a heating pad? Look up posts about the "mama heating pad"

 

[Christabean]

Even if a regular incandescent bulb isn't enough, I'm sure it's better than nothing until you find a heat bulb! Any chain pet store should have heat lamps, check the reptiles section and expect to pay maybe $15 and a few more for the bulb. If you're going to keep a lot of baby birds, you could also invest in a ceramic heat emitter. Very low wattage for the heat and lasts for many years.

 

[Pendragonz]

Hi all. I'm new here, first thread and al that jazz.

got me some little chicks and two ducklings today and I have no heat lamp but I have them on a hot water bottle and straw and a towel. They are all happy asleep and in my house. Will this do??? I searched everywhere for a heat lamp today but couldn't get one

I would recommend either the mama heating pad that a lot of people use, or if you have the $ the brooder heating plate thing made by Brinsea, or Premier. I have the one made by Premier and love it. It uses a lot less electricity than the lamps, and less fire risk. Enjoy your chicks.

 

[glencarbantam]

Thanks everyone. They made it through the first night with the water bottle. I'm up with my baby every few hours so I top up the water bottle and settle them down. They are eating and drinking and sleeping and running around happily. The ducks were a bit scared but are now eating and drinking happily too. Sister in law just brought me out a house warming present of a polish bantam cockeral and a silkie cockeral and two silkie chickens. All very young(3months old) I now have 18 birds and need as much help as possible. Lol. Have a big hen house we made a few weeks ago. A chicken in a run with two chicks she hatched, the other babies in the house and everyone else milling around outside. I'm now a mad chicken lady