Ordered my 1st chicks!!

[KatharinetheGr8]

I think I'm just over thinking it. And over-worrying. They're all sleeping soundly when I last checked on them so I'm not going to make any adjustments this evening. But tomorrow I'll try to adjust their cave and remove the heat lamp and train them to huddle under the heating pad. I really want it to work!

Yes, @Mutt Farm I dipped their little beaks in the water as soon as I moved them into their brooder. I make sure each chick drinks before I move on to the next. Once I got them all in there I put them all under the mama heating pad. And there they stayed till I put the heat lamp in there. Then they ventured out and ate, drank, and were merry.

 

[Blooie]

Blooie, I love you to pieces and back! Please don't ever worry about a difference of opinion! The point that I was trying to make with my unskilled words is that IF she had NO thermometer and NO clue how cold or warm the babies are, a second heating pad (and the heat lamp) would be way less necessary than an accurate thermometer. I've heard of littles dehydrating and cooking from overcare and too much heat. OP said she had no thermometer to monitor heat. That worried me alot.

I kinda thought that was where your little head was, but I felt I had to make it clear about the dimensions since this is all new to @KatharinetheGr8 . Funny, I never put a thermometer in there under the cave at all, and wouldn't have if @azygous hadn't asked me if I knew what the temperature was under there. So later on I put a wireless one under there just because I got curious too. It went in there for one day, came back out, and I've never felt the need to measure the heat under there again. The heating pad can't get too warm for the chicks or they'd never be allowed to sell them to slap on our own backs and lean back in the recliner with them. People have indeed been burned by them - in fact I know someone whose husband was burned - but it was situation of not being able to get out away from the pad. Our chicks are free to do just that, and most of us who are able to wouldn't let it get to that point either. So to me the actual temperature is almost a non-issue. If the chicks are happy, that's good enough.

Don't you wish everyone was as mean to each other as we are when we disagree!

 

[Mutt Farm]

That's so great! It's so nice to have "mother hens", while you're researching what will work best for you, but at some point, you've got this! Sounds like you do. SC isn't frigid. Littles are too stinking funny. Just you wait. I look forward to more pics!

 

[KatharinetheGr8]

So this morning when I was changing their brooder liner (I've got it lined with puppy pads then paper towels on the top for the 1st week; I'll change to pine shavings for the 2nd) I turned off the heat lamp and adjusted the chick cave. When I put them back in the brooder I stuck them right under the cave. They all cuddled up and went to sleep under there! I'm less concerned with them today than I was yesterday. They've eaten and drank bunches. They all seem happy and healthy. And the heat lamp brought the temperature of that room up quite a bit yesterday.

Where we live, it is a 20 minute drive to the closest grocery store and about 30 minutes to the closest pet supply store and feed stores. We have to make our journeys to civilization thoughtfully! I have to go to the grocery store anyway, so I'll stop by the pet supply store and get a little thermometer to make sure its warm enough under the cave for the littles. I'm sure it is, but I worry!

@Blooie and @Mutt Farm I can't thank you enough for your encouragement! Even with a differing opinion, you never made me feel like an idiot. It takes a kind, thoughtful person to be generous with your wisdom and to do it without demeaning the other person. Thank you again for all of your help! And of course, I'll post more photos throughout the day!

 

[N F C]

Yes, more photos please! Have you named them yet?

 

[KatharinetheGr8]

Well Debby, I have names for them but I'm not sure who is getting which name yet. You're probably going to laugh at me when I tell you the names! You see, my husband and I are big country music fans. We've been to Nashville twice in as many years. We met Kenny Rogers at the Country Music Hall of Fame! We were trying to move to Nashville before coming to SC but unfortunately no one wanted to offer my amazing husband, Army veteran, and college grad a job that paid more than minimum wage! But I digress...

Because we are such country music fans I thought it would be fun to name my new girls after country legends!

So here are the names of my girls:

Buff Orpingtons:
1. Dolly
2. Minnie
3. Reba

Barred Plymouth Rocks:
1. Kitty
2. Emmylou
3. June

Black Australorps:
1. Patsy
2. Loretta

I'll be able to tell who's who when my husband helps me band them. I tried yesterday but couldn't do it myself.

 

[N F C]

Well Debby, I have names for them but I'm not sure who is getting which name yet. You're probably going to laugh at me when I tell you the names! You see, my husband and I are big country music fans. We've been to Nashville twice in as many years. We met Kenny Rogers at the Country Music Hall of Fame! We were trying to move to Nashville before coming to SC but unfortunately no one wanted to offer my amazing husband, Army veteran, and college grad a job that paid more than minimum wage! But I digress...

Because we are such country music fans I thought it would be fun to name my new girls after country legends!

So here are the names of my girls:

Buff Orpingtons:
1. Dolly
2. Minnie
3. Reba

Barred Plymouth Rocks:
1. Kitty
2. Emmylou
3. June

Black Australorps:
1. Patsy
2. Loretta

I'll be able to tell who's who when my husband helps me band them. I tried yesterday but couldn't do it myself.

Those are great chick names (from some pretty great chicks).

 

[Blooie]

So this morning when I was changing their brooder liner (I've got it lined with puppy pads then paper towels on the top for the 1st week; I'll change to pine shavings for the 2nd) I turned off the heat lamp and adjusted the chick cave. When I put them back in the brooder I stuck them right under the cave. They all cuddled up and went to sleep under there! I'm less concerned with them today than I was yesterday. They've eaten and drank bunches. They all seem happy and healthy. And the heat lamp brought the temperature of that room up quite a bit yesterday.

Where we live, it is a 20 minute drive to the closest grocery store and about 30 minutes to the closest pet supply store and feed stores. We have to make our journeys to civilization thoughtfully! I have to go to the grocery store anyway, so I'll stop by the pet supply store and get a little thermometer to make sure its warm enough under the cave for the littles. I'm sure it is, but I worry!

@Blooie and @Mutt Farm I can't thank you enough for your encouragement! Even with a differing opinion, you never made me feel like an idiot. It takes a kind, thoughtful person to be generous with your wisdom and to do it without demeaning the other person. Thank you again for all of your help! And of course, I'll post more photos throughout the day!

Did you hear the churling as they settled in to sleep? I love that sound! I wish we only had to drive 20 minutes to get the stuff we need. It's 100 miles one way from here up to Billings. <sigh> But we always list everything we'll need then make a day out of it. Lunch at Red Lobster or Texas Roadhouse, a little wandering through Rimrock Mall, and the mountains are pretty to drive by, so it's all good.

I'm not so sure that Mutt and I had a "differing opinion". It was more like each of us clarifying exactly what the other was saying, and a little bit of saying the same thing in different ways. And ultimately the goal is the same - for you to enjoy your chicks and for them to grow up healthy and strong. (Okay, somebody give Mutt CPR!)

 

[N F C]

Blooie, just gotta interject here...my cousin that lives in Laramie now used to live in Billings. Heck, I've been dogging your footsteps for years and didn't even know it. Small world isn't it!

 

[Blooie]

Boy, you ain't kidding! So when you come to Sheridan you're a little over 100 miles one way, when you go to Billings you're 100 miles the other. You'd BETTER call and stop in!