OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[minihorse927]

I was! I didn't go outside, though. My husband rode his motorcycle to work! Brrr! He said that's why he has the cold weather gear (it saves a lot of money on gas, so he wants to ride it as long as possible). I'll be glad when motorcycle season is over.

Are possums a threat to chickens? I ask because I read a very complimentary blog on possum last year. We had one on the deck last night, but I went out and yelled, "git! Git!" to it and it waddled off.

I've had possums eat eggs, kill chicks, one 2 occasions one killed my meaties. Typically they will eat chicken feed and eat the eggs and not the chickens but I don't take my chances. I've lost too many to racoons and possums. Plus they are nasty disease ridden critters. They are thought to be the cause of EPM in horses

 

[Natashka]

I've had possums eat eggs, kill chicks, one 2 occasions one killed my meaties. Typically they will eat chicken feed and eat the eggs and not the chickens but I don't take my chances. I've lost too many to racoons and possums. Plus they are nasty disease ridden critters. They are thought to be the cause of EPM in horses

Here's the blog post: http://soulsbyfarm.org/2013/04/13/fun-opossum-facts-and-video/

 

[fallenangel79]

Hatching babies today. Had to help 6 but all doing fine so far.

so cute i

 

[big medicine]

i hope this makes since LOL. i build my brooders out of one sheet of plywood. they are 2 feet high and wide, and 4 feet long - i put the lamp on one end. when the temps drop to around 50 degrees i will change to a 250 watt white bulb. when the temps get around 40, i will put a lid from a 20 or so gallon storage container over the area of the lamp. i will add another lid at 30 and another at 25 degrees. when it gets into the teens i add a second bulb usually 150 watt red and i will switch it on and off as needed.

i have considered running 2 -150 watt lamps on the end, in case one blows.

i still have losses when the temp fluctuates, but this is the best method i have found so far.

I have a light in each end of my outside brooder, to help with even heat in early spring, and as a back up if one should go out. I have just a single light in my basement brooders, and they have blown out, but the temp. is warm enough down there that it was not life threatening for a short period. But I have never attempted to brood chicks this time of year.

The top photo shows the right half of the big outside three level brooder in the coop. Each level can be split into two sections by a removable divider. Parden the dust they have been empty for a few months. I use a regular 100 watt bulb in the reflectors, which are hung on a chain so they can be raised as the chicks grow. Once they they feather out some, and, or it warms up, I switch out lighter wattage bulbs, down to fluorescent bulbs when they don't need any heat.


Basement brooder, which also serves as off season storage, as seen here. Again regular 100 watt bulbs. I built this after I started inoculating for Mareck's Desease, reguiring the day olds to be kept away from older birds for 14 days to allow the vacine to take. Much to the wifes disaproval.

 

[mlaff]

I have a light in each end of my outside brooder, to help with even heat in early spring, and as a back up if one should go out. I have just a single light in my basement brooders, and they have blown out, but the temp. is warm enough down there that it was not life threatening for a short period. But I have never attempted to brood chicks this time of year. The top photo shows the right half of the big outside three level brooder in the coop. Each level can be split into two sections by a removable divider. Parden the dust they have been empty for a few months. I use a regular 100 watt bulb in the reflectors, which are hung on a chain so they can be raised as the chicks grow. Once they they feather out some, and, or it warms up, I switch out lighter wattage bulbs, down to fluorescent bulbs when they don't need any heat. Basement brooder, which also serves as off season storage, as seen here. Again regular 100 watt bulbs. I built this after I started inoculating for Mareck's Desease, reguiring the day olds to be kept away from older birds for 14 days to allow the vacine to take. Much to the wifes disaproval.

So jealous. Thats awesome. I need to get my butt moving.

 

[KirstenJL]

I got my very first chickens as day-olds on Nov 5, 2010. Stupid, stupid, but they were willing to ship from NM and I was avid about getting started. It was snowing when I picked them up from the post office. I brooded them in a metal water trough in my kitchen until the night before Thanksgiving when they went out to my unheated mud room. They went outside (to their unheated coop) New Years weekend and I don't think it broke 35 for the rest of the winter! I must have done something right though, because they're all still alive! Tough birdies.

 

[OHhappychicks]

I have a light in each end of my outside brooder, to help with even heat in early spring, and as a back up if one should go out. I have just a single light in my basement brooders, and they have blown out, but the temp. is warm enough down there that it was not life threatening for a short period. But I have never attempted to brood chicks this time of year.

The top photo shows the right half of the big outside three level brooder in the coop. Each level can be split into two sections by a removable divider. Parden the dust they have been empty for a few months. I use a regular 100 watt bulb in the reflectors, which are hung on a chain so they can be raised as the chicks grow. Once they they feather out some, and, or it warms up, I switch out lighter wattage bulbs, down to fluorescent bulbs when they don't need any heat.


Basement brooder, which also serves as off season storage, as seen here. Again regular 100 watt bulbs. I built this after I started inoculating for Mareck's Desease, reguiring the day olds to be kept away from older birds for 14 days to allow the vacine to take. Much to the wifes disaproval.

Nice setup!!!

 

[OHhappychicks]

I'm so proud of two of my dogs. They left this on my porch. it was the rottweiler and the dachshund. I'm betting more dachshund that rottweiler, as backwards as that sounds.

Go DACHSIES!!! We've had dachsunds. Love them. We had one that would get groundhogs, possums anything else he could get out of a hole! He had bits of his ears gone where they would get him, but he always won!

 

[cluckitall]

I haven't had time to do more than skim the thread for agess, dang it! Just wanted to duck my hea in the door and say hi

Nice brooders, big medicine! And mlaff, I hear ya -- I've got me "last" eggs for the year in the incubator right now, supposed to hatch Nov. 3 and since I'm going to be out of town from the 10th to the 14th, that's helped me keep from setting any more! Of course, the real test will be after I get back, lol!

Minihorse, I need some dachshunds!!! Or something

Or actually, I don't because my one problem predator here is skunks, and having a dog catch a skunk is

The trap works great, and I just run 'em to the game preserve eight miles (and one busy highway) away...

 

[OHhappychicks]

I haven't had time to do more than skim the thread for agess, dang it! Just wanted to duck my hea in the door and say hi

Nice brooders, big medicine! And mlaff, I hear ya -- I've got me "last" eggs for the year in the incubator right now, supposed to hatch Nov. 3 and since I'm going to be out of town from the 10th to the 14th, that's helped me keep from setting any more! Of course, the real test will be after I get back, lol!

Minihorse, I need some dachshunds!!! Or something

Or actually, I don't because my one problem predator here is skunks, and having a dog catch a skunk is

The trap works great, and I just run 'em to the game preserve eight miles (and one busy highway) away...