Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[AnneInTheBurbs]

My peeps are about a month old outside with a broody and the others. I was wondering with this cold wet weather should I be giving them (the peeps) a heat lamp at night?

If they are stop with the broody, they should be fine. They can snuggle under her or with each other. I have chicks just over a month old and they are still with their Mama. They were all fine last night. They seemed to be all poofed up yesterday when it was cold and rainy during the day, but snuggling together in the closed coop I knew they would be fine.

I would they need to stay around 100 degrees most of the time

I think that is only for the first week or so for chicks, and not necessary if they have broody Mama.

Are anyone's else's chooks bored to pieces in this rainy downpour?

 

[BullChick]

My crazy chickens are bored, but at least they have been sleeping inside the last few nights! They were hanging out inside during the days, but were still sleeping outside every night, even in the rain! I think it was Monday night that I knew it was too cold and wet for them to be outside. I went down to the coop with a flashlight, willing to put them inside by hand if I had to. Fortunately, they were already inside.
Daytime is another story. They are willing to play in the rain.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Fisher:

Like Anne, I'm thinking a penciled broody is needed in my flock...maybe in the spring????

I have two expert beggars...they refuse scratch on the ground and surround me to be hand fed.....they are training two or three others who now join the fray once they see a hand full of scratch...

That's how most of my turkeys are lol. All the chickens will clean up the ground when I throw the scratch but the turkeys just surround me and wait for me to hand it to them.

 

[stake]

Got my first egg after five months of tender loving care and did not lose any hens.have a total of 48 hens

congrats...with 48 girls, you'll have more eggs than you know what to do with!!

 

[fisherlady]

My peeps are about a month old outside with a broody and the others. I was wondering with this cold wet weather should I be giving them (the peeps) a heat lamp at night?

The hen will give them the warmth they need....our hens hatch year round and often have chicks outside to forage even in temps below 30*f.... they do not need constant 90*+ heat!

 

[fisherlady]

If they are stop with the broody, they should be fine. They can snuggle under her or with each other. I have chicks just over a month old and they are still with their Mama. They were all fine last night. They seemed to be all poofed up yesterday when it was cold and rainy during the day, but snuggling together in the closed coop I knew they would be fine.
I think that is only for the first week or so for chicks, and not necessary if they have broody Mama.

Are anyone's else's chooks bored to pieces in this rainy downpour?

X2 on the temps, the rules for raising chicks in a brooder are thrown right out the window when dealing with a broody hen.
Even in a brooder the temp needed for month old chicks would only be around 75* or so if I am remembering correctly it starts at 95* and drops 5* per week until you are at the average outside temps...

My crazy chickens are bored, but at least they have been sleeping inside the last few nights! They were hanging out inside during the days, but were still sleeping outside every night, even in the rain! I think it was Monday night that I knew it was too cold and wet for them to be outside. I went down to the coop with a flashlight, willing to put them inside by hand if I had to. Fortunately, they were already inside.
Daytime is another story. They are willing to play in the rain.

Our younger birds are out and about, though they are hanging around under the trees or closer than normal to the coop and we see them ducking inside more often than normal for a warm up break....our older birds took one look at the rain and said 'screw that' and stayed under their 'carport' roof or in their main coop.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

If they are stop with the broody, they should be fine. They can snuggle under her or with each other. I have chicks just over a month old and they are still with their Mama. They were all fine last night. They seemed to be all poofed up yesterday when it was cold and rainy during the day, but snuggling together in the closed coop I knew they would be fine.

I think that is only for the first week or so for chicks, and not necessary if they have broody Mama.


Are anyone's else's chooks bored to pieces in this rainy downpour?

X2 on the temps, the rules for raising chicks in a brooder are thrown right out the window when dealing with a broody hen.
Even in a brooder the temp needed for month old chicks would only be around 75* or so if I am remembering correctly it starts at 95* and drops 5* per week until you are at the average outside temps...


X3 on temps, broodys are amazing.

My crazy chickens are bored, but at least they have been sleeping inside the last few nights! They were hanging out inside during the days, but were still sleeping outside every night, even in the rain! I think it was Monday night that I knew it was too cold and wet for them to be outside. I went down to the coop with a flashlight, willing to put them inside by hand if I had to. Fortunately, they were already inside.

Daytime is another story. They are willing to play in the rain.

Our younger birds are out and about, though they are hanging around under the trees or closer than normal to the coop and we see them ducking inside more often than normal for a warm up break....our older birds took one look at the rain and said 'screw that' and stayed under their 'carport' roof or in their main coop. 

It's been a daily fight here to keep dry space for the chooks. Just when I've got one group set, something goes wrong elsewhere and I've got work to do. I am just about to go suit up and get out there to tarp and change out wet shavings, I'm also going to open windows while we've got a little reprieve from the rain.

 

[stake]

It's been a daily fight here to keep dry space for the chooks. Just when I've got one group set, something goes wrong elsewhere and I've got work to do. I am just about to go suit up and get out there to tarp and change out wet shavings, I'm also going to open windows while we've got a little reprieve from the rain.

My girls have a couple of dry spots, but unless its a downpour, they are out and about...my biggest issue is keeping the feeders dry......

 

[Blarneyeggs]

My girls have a couple of dry spots, but unless its a downpour, they are out and about...my biggest issue is keeping the feeders dry......

Most of my runs are covered so I've moved feed into the runs and have tarped most of the sides. My layers are in a hoop coop, which used to have just one tarp covering most of the top but sides open, with the rain coming in sideways, this wasn't working. These birds were all soaked through this morning and I was determined to find a way to keep them dry. They've also been sleeping on the bare ground, I guess the roosts we put up were not to their liking, so I made new wider and longer roosts for them today and physically moved them onto the new roosts tonight after dark.

I know this is an eye soar that makes my husband cringe, but I'm thrilled with their new dry digs, I think you all can appreciate it.

 

[napdognewfie]

If it gets the job done fine. Tell him Martha isn't going to be visiting ant time soon. Lol