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AnneInTheBurbs said:
Only 165? Are you taking it easy this week?
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I think I pulled the last ones out from this hatch, though sometimes a straggler surprises me Mon AM. Total now is 173. I don't have that many still in brooders, a few died and some are sold already. Some breeds hatch great, over 90% and some very poorly (only 11% of the Welsummer eggs I set resulted in live chicks).

Lovely day at the farm. I moved around a bunch of chickens, hopefully they don't kill anyone in the new groupings. I feel bad for my BCM roo, I replaced him with a younger blue one because fertility has been 0 the last month or so. He ended up in with a bunch of other roos in the turkey pen. He went in first but still seems to be "odd man out" so far. I hope all the roos are careful around the turkey hens, they don't take to the sort of male aggression roos are famous for, and they will put a roo in his place.
 
dheltzel said:
I think I pulled the last ones out from this hatch, though sometimes a straggler surprises me Mon AM. Total now is 173. I don't have that many still in brooders, a few died and some are sold already. Some breeds hatch great, over 90% and some very poorly (only 11% of the Welsummer eggs I set resulted in live chicks).

Lovely day at the farm. I moved around a bunch of chickens, hopefully they don't kill anyone in the new groupings. I feel bad for my BCM roo, I replaced him with a younger blue one because fertility has been 0 the last month or so. He ended up in with a bunch of other roos in the turkey pen. He went in first but still seems to be "odd man out" so far. I hope all the roos are careful around the turkey hens, they don't take to the sort of male aggression roos are famous for, and they will put a roo in his place.
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173! Lots of happy costumers. I thought your bielefelders have the worst hatch rate, Welsummer seems even worse. I thought it's because of inbreeding, but many other breeders have good hatch rate even when inbreeding. So it's many depends on individual roos?

By the way, every chick is doing great. The Rhodebar, Rhodefelder, and sexlink girls will fly on my hand or arm themselves for cuddling. Molly the regular CCL will let me pet her. Dolly the Rees CCL and Penny the Welbar are more flighty and only come to get treats from my hand. Of course, I didn't handle Penny too much since she is so tiny and was not doing well.
 
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Looking forward to this warm week and acclimating the brooder chicks to the big coop. They are 6 and 7 weeks old and look to be fully feathered. Last week the day temp in the garage brooder was kept at about 60 during the day and may have dropped to slightly below that at night, maybe 55 at the lowest?

So my question . . .
They will be outside during the day since outside temp will be equal to or above what the brooder has been (brooder can be dropped to 55 this week), however, nights will be just a little colder than 55 degrees. Weatherman is calling for an average temp between 45-55 throughout the week at night. Since they are fully feathered (but still a little young) can they stay in the coop at night w/o supplemental heat?
 
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I walk by the coop a few times before bed when I take heat away. Once as the temperature has dropped about 10*, and again when it is dark. Once more when I am about to go to bed. Their noises will let you know if they are okay.
 
MotorcycleChick said:
I walk by the coop a few times before bed when I take heat away. Once as the temperature has dropped about 10*, and again when it is dark. Once more when I am about to go to bed. Their noises will let you know if they are okay.
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Alot of peeping means too cold and quiet = warm and content?
 

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