NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

Should I be concerned about the chicks about to hatch? They are due the 8th or 9th of this month.
When they are hatched will Midget want them to follow her out of the brooder when she leaves to eat, exercise and do broodies still hold their poop like they do when setting? I plan on putting a waterer and food dish with starter in the cage for them and her fermented mash too.
What else should I do?
I am so tempted to bring the lot into my apartment, so I am sure they are safe.
Will she be able to keep them warm enough?

If it helps you to sleep knowing they're inside with you then by all means do so. A couple of weeks inside won't hurt, but then you'll be torn when it comes time to move them out.

 

[Lapeerian]

Honestly... I didn't put a thermometer in the coop. I didn't want to think about how cold it was for them as I was told the chickens I got do well in winter.
Our coop is the back 1/3 of our garage. She is just outside the main co-op area in a giant wire dog crate. The other birds can see her but not force her off her nest or peck at her like they were doing when she was in the main co-op area. I covered her crate with a sheet on 3 sides. Everyday we let her out to poop eat and drink and her favorite dustbath then back in the crate she goes when done.
What would happen if after they hatch we took the babies, would she become sick or depressed. I am worried the babies will freeze.
There is no way to put her in with the main group. I don't think. I know that she is well able to protect herself. Little Midget takes no guff of anyone. If even the giant, most aggressive BSL pecks her, Midget jumps on her and pecks her back... but defending possibly 4 chicks and she isn't big enough to keep all them warm until they feather out.
Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

My thoughts/experience: Broody will take care of it. There is no guarantee that all the eggs will hatch in the first place, but she will spread herself out over the chicks as she does with the eggs. Keep her and the chicks in the dog crate and continue as you are now. Maybe add an enclosed box for her to set in, like a miniature doghouse. This would give them a cozy place to cuddle in. Broody chicks feather faster than lamp raised chicks. After they get some size and feathers to them, integrate into the flock. Make sure they have a place to escape from the bigger bullies, they will learn quickly to stay out of the way.
If you take the chicks, it possible that she would continue to brood. Or she will run around clucking and searching for them. I have an Eglu that I use for my broody and chicks, last year the gate swung closed on the cage and one of the chicks was outside of the cage. Broody paced and clucked for the chick until I was able to catch and put it in the cage with her.

 

[boskelli1571]

At lockdown tonight I discovered my water had froze. Yay. Guess I get to lug water out when I go check on them and gather eggs every couple hours. Yup, I go out multiple times a day. They love their fermented feed but it goes out in batches. Otherwise they make it nasty with poo.

I was using the type of waterer that you flip over remove the bottom, fill, close, flip again. Well now its a black 3 gallon rubber bowl. They aren't sure at first.

I have been giving mine regular feed - free feed and then around 1pm I give them a bucket of fermented scratch grains. I'm doing an experiment to see how much grain/money I can save. The fermented stuff doesn't sit around long enough for them to poop in!

 

[boskelli1571]

BRRRRR....I just had the hubs get out from under his nice warm blankie to go to the coops with me to check on the chickens I was worried, they were fine. Had to remove the ice cube that was their water the third time today... The snow fence we put up is containing the chickens but the area is a muddy mess thanks to warmer weather and rain. I need to figure out how to store my leaves and pine needles so I can use them when they are needed for things like this.

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

so sorry about your kitty Pyxis!



Jackie

I use the paper garden sacks - you can get them at Lowes etc. I fill them full and stack them between the coop and the outside barn door for extra insulation. The girls like to lay their eggs in them too!

 

[boskelli1571]

I might have to wipe their beaks?

Yes, I can imagine the mess around and inside the feed bowl. So is the feed given with liquid in it, or just wet?

What I do - and i think this universal - is soak the 'daily 'allowance' in water for 3 days, stir each day. Feed on day 3. I use 3 separate containers - 1,2,&3 so I have a continuous supply.
I believee there are several different ways of doing it. A quick search will yield you dozens of results.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Chicken girl , you have twenty rabbits all together? Do they get along? Mine fight. I only have five, as pets, but I had to separate them into two groups because of the fighting. One group has the mom and a male and female from her youngest litter, and the other has a male and female from a previous litter. Mom had wanted nothing to do with her previous babies after she got a new set, and started chasing and biting them, so I had to keep them apart. But the youngest litter grew up with her, I guess because she didn't have younger mouths to feed. Now I have two rabbit hutches; one in the backyard and one in the enclosed, gated driveway. So each group has their own territory, with a barrier in between. I let them out in the daytime, and the first thing each group does, is run and poop right at the barrier that separates them from the other group. I did think to move the more exposed hutch into the shed, but that puts them into the other territory, and that complicates matters. So i taped plastic over most of the mesh openings, leaving the door clear. However I lean a big sheet of glass over the door as a rain/ wind break.

I'm sorry my mistake in typing. I have 20 chickens, will be adding roughly 20 bunnies this year though. The meaties sell good around me if you process them for people. Just most don't want to raise and process them.

Maybe move the hutch into the shed and make the bunnies take turns outside?

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I have been giving mine regular feed - free feed and then around 1pm I give them a bucket of fermented scratch grains. I'm doing an experiment to see how much grain/money I can save. The fermented stuff doesn't sit around long enough for them to poop in! 

They don't let it sit around but with 20 of them it somehow always gets poo in it.

I have found it to be a big savings. I ferment their feed though not the scratch. I toss the scratch or cracked corn on the ground. I also keep a free choice feeder of dry out for them. Today the feed got put out only a bit at a time due to the artic temps freezing everything. Ack I want spring.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Dear 2016,

You will not win. You have chosen the wrong family to challenge. You can make my roof leak, break things, make things mold, freeze water lines or even break them if you must. HOWEVER , we will beat you and fix it all. I will not give up.

Sincerely
Irritated home owner.

 

[shodack]

What I do - and i think this universal - is soak the 'daily 'allowance' in water for 3 days, stir each day. Feed on day 3. I use 3 separate containers - 1,2,&3 so I have a continuous supply.
        I believee there are several different ways of doing it. A quick search will yield you dozens of results.

I make mine in a 2 gallon bucket. Typically I make about a week's worth, and when it gets down to a day or two worth I add more dry food and water. They seem to like it best when it's the consistency of lumpy oatmeal. No matter how you do it, stirring it up good once every day is the most important part.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Have any of you used a birdbath deicer in your water? The ones I found say they are safe for plastic so I just might try it out. The blasted water is freezing before they have a chance to drink much of it and I feel bad. The coop is still much warmer than the outside temp so I know they are ok there but they need fresh UNFROZEN water at all times. And UNFROZEN just isn't going to happen today.