Pecking/ Brooder size?

[nhblond]

Okay, so on my other threads I had told the story of how my husband and I rescued Bantam chicks from TSC a while ago. Well, I would put their age at this point at about 2&1/2 - 3 weeks old. There are 14 of them and I have them in a 50 gallon tote with a screen top. We went away last weekend for a wedding and had a pet sitter taking care of all our critters. When we got back I noticed that at least 5-6 of them had bloody spots on their backs where they had been pecked! I put the Rooster Doctor (or called something similar) twice on the ones that had been pecked. For the most part I think it has stopped the pecking. Although I think this morning I spotted a new one that had been pecked. The others seem to be ok. So.... I am wondering if the brooder is too small for them? I had my other full size chicks in a similar tote last year for quite a while and had no problems.... I think I have finally managed to get the temp in the brooder down to 85 degrees. I have raised it up as far as it will go, and the next step will be to use a lower wattage bulb.

I have been thinking that if they are crowded, I could move them to the water trough brooder that I used for the other chicks last year. But here is the problem with that..... I have no good place to set it up! In my barn I have the room I would normally use occupied by pheasants. And I have no idea where I could put it in the house....???

Any ideas or suggestions???

 

[suzeqf]

i would try the bigger brooder i have 12 chick 5-6 week olds (reg/banty) in a 1/2 pallet box with a smaller box added on the end for their food and so far no one has pecked anyone

 

[juliette2009]

A bigger brooder always helps. Also, try sprinkling a little powdered kelp on their food.

Juliette

 

[nhblond]

Well my husband and I worked last night on setting up a new bigger brooder in the barn last night. It is twice the size of the one they are in now. It is a dog exercize pen, that we put cardboard all the way around the outside, then used some housing wrap type stuff over the cardboard, and then horse blankets all along the outside bottom edge.... Very red-neck looking

The only thing I have left to do today is to put shavings in the bottom and then set up the light. The metal lamp base that we used in our chicken coop all winter turns out to not have the ceramic base (Yikes), so I'm not sure yet if I will try using a 125 watt flood light bulb in it and see what the temp gets up to, or if I will take a chance and use the light they have now and keep using the 250 watt bulb. I am just afraid of turning off their light in the house (the one with the bigger bulb and ceramic base) and them catching a chill while I am switching things over..... always there is something to worry about! And I will be sure the brooder is up to 85 degrees when I put them in it. I really hope they will be alright. They have been in the house since I got them, and I will be so worried about them getting cold. I'm sure I will be checking the temp in the new brooder about a thousand times!

 

[juliette2009]

Good Luck!

 

[nhblond]

Well, it's 31 degrees outside and the chicks are spending the first night in the barn in their new brooder. I just went and checked on them and I think they will be okay. The thermometer right under the light says 90 degrees. I put a second light a little higher and from the side. Unfortunately I think that the pecking might have been from having a white heat bulb, and even though the lower light is a red bulb in the new brooder, I had to use the same white one for the side light since the other red bulb was blown and I didn't realize it until I went to use it. I am thinking that tomorrow I will buy another red one to switch it out.... Gosh, I hope they are okay and warm enough tonight, I am going to be so worried until I see them in the morning!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Glad you moved them to larger quarters. It will help. Yes, red is superior. Chickens have bad eyesight in the dark and red is closer to darkness. Turn on a bright light and watch them "wind it up" in a matter of seconds. Within a minute, they are bouncing off the walls. It turns them on. Turn off that bright light? They'll settle right down in moments.

At almost 3 weeks, they won't need the temps to be 90 either. Now, in the larger brooder, they'll self regulate, moving into or out of the direct heat, as needed. Congratulations on your new arrangement.

 

[nhblond]

Fred's Hens :

Glad you moved them to larger quarters. It will help. Yes, red is superior. Chickens have bad eyesight in the dark and red is closer to darkness. Turn on a bright light and watch them "wind it up" in a matter of seconds. Within a minute, they are bouncing off the walls. It turns them on. Turn off that bright light? They'll settle right down in moments.

At almost 3 weeks, they won't need the temps to be 90 either. Now, in the larger brooder, they'll self regulate, moving into or out of the direct heat, as needed. Congratulations on your new arrangement.

Yes, tomorrow I will switch out that white light. I have always used red in the past, so not sure why I had decided to try the white??? Anyway, I don't think I want to keep monkeying around with the level of the light just yet.... and like you said, they will move away from it if they are too hot. Since it is still so cold at night here, I feel better knowing that they have the heat source for now, especially as they are in transition. In the house I had lowered the temp to 85, which I might try to do in a few days or next week in the new setup. Tomorrow it is supposed to be in the 50's during the day, so I am sure they will not be spending all their time under the light anyway. Thanks for the kind words, they really help when you are a little on the worried side

 

[juliette2009]

Red light is always better! I use a red infrared bulb.