Please help! Raising baby chicks NOW in a cold climate!

[Solsken Farm]

I am with you Cottage Rose, PBJ and others. I am in big trouble! I have alot of babies that just hatched and will be hatching. I waited so long for certain breeders that I just couldn't say no. I am in sub-zero Maine. I am most certainly going to have to heat my tack room in the barn for the babies once they are about feathered out, say at 5-6 weeks. I can keep them in the house until then, but there just won't be room. My poor dh is going to have a fit.

I love your potting shed!

My tack room is insulated and I will figure out some type of heating arrangement, including ceramic heat lamps, but those won't be enough. Luckily my tack room is already insulated, but it is on the north side.....and I don't know if I will ever be able to clean it well enough to have it as a tack room again.....

I am certain folks do this, but most certainly, putting out young ones, without being feathered out, and even then, if they have been inside into sub zero weather will seriously put them at risk. I remember reading one BYCer put their Marans out last winter at 9 weeks without a heat lamp and they lost several of them the first night (probably suffocated trying to stay warm)

I hope we can all come up with a plan.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Good advise! Thanks for the ideas.

I especially liked the cinder block/radiant heat idea.

Jennifer...thats not my potting shed.
Heres a pic of my potting shed.
Its about 4' X 6'
Thats a cement block storage building/ex-dairy goat barn house I have up by my house which I have a large box stall in that I may eventually move them to once bigger. I thought the smaller potting shed would be easier to heat.
I saw some "utility" heaters at Wal-Mart today.
I wonder how pricey they would be to run??

 

[Cottage Rose]

I can't imagine putting youngsters out even at 9 weeks into sub zero weather without a heat lamp.

I am wondering about letting them out, once fully feathered, on sunny days for a sun bath if its not too windy and if they have access to go back in at anytime.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Rose, I am going to Home Depor this week to see what they will suggest.

Your potting shed is adorable and would seem to be easy to heat. I love that old milk barn!

My tack room is about 10 x 12. I will let you know what I find out. Please do the same! I have been worrying about this for a month and the cold reality of winter really set in here this week.

And with regards to the younguns, I agree. Even if they are feathered out, going from inside to outside sub zero would be a shock to their little systems.

I am hatching like 50 babies, so I am really nervous!

 

[Cottage Rose]

Jennifer
I will certainly let you know anything I come up with.
The potting shed has a window on the back so it will allow daylight in.
It has a ledge about 36" from the floor which I plan to put some plywood over the back half to make a covered area where I will have the heat lamp. I plan to line the floor, walls and ceiling with styrofoam sheets.
I think I will line cinder blocks on the floor inside the covered area to catch the heat. I really don't think keeping them warm will be a problem...my main concern is them being cooped up for long periods of time.
I think it will be helpful to provide them with chopped greens (mustard, collard etc.) and kelp meal.
I also plan to sprout alfalfa seeds for them.
I think I will give them crumbled hard boiled eggs regulary too.

Keep posting any tips everybody.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Kellie...I'm located about 25 miles north of Grand Rapids.

 

[kelliepulido]

Thast's a good idea about the plywood to make a roof over an area in the coop to trap the heat for the babies.I picked up some little shelves along side the road that were free in the summer.I have 3 or four of them and put them along sides of the coop with big sticks going across everybody sits on them I move them around the coop like rearranging the furniture they all seem to enjoy it.Different place to roost.For that matter I could take a couple bails of straw put the ply wood over that and then attach the heat lamp to shine under some how.I have 7 chicks that are 1wk.old in the house,3day old chicks in the coop another broody on 3 due this week and some more eggs coming this week.I know this is addicting.

 

[Solsken Farm]

Ah, I am more worried about the heat....

How about some chopped up hay? My chicks are into that.....but it can't be too long or it can cause chocking/impaction.

I like your idea of the cinder blocks.

 

[Cottage Rose]

The cinder blocks wasn't my idea.
Somebody mentioned it on page one.

I think space heaters and/or heat lamps will provide enough heat but I'm freaking out thinking what if an extension cord shorts out or bulb goes out in the middle of the night. Guess we will just have to hope for the best.

I was thinking cooked hamburger might be a good supplement feed as well.
The added fat and meat will be good for them don't you think?
Canned dog food could be used as well and more convenient.
I really think its going to be vital too beef up their diet with added fat and protien
in order for them to make it through the coldest months of winter.

 

[maymay8]

This topic is hot on my mind, as I've a broody hen about to hatch 9 eggs in about a week. She and her fellow chickens refuse to go into our enclosed coop, opting instead to live on the ground in an open area. My husband and I are concocting our plan to enclose this area so we can add a heat source for when the chicks arrive. However, I've heard that providing a heat lamp can acutally "spoil" some hcickens, mostly older ones living in its luxury, into not being winter hardy. Anyone else heard that? It doesnt' get midwest cold her ein New Mexico but it surely is in the 20s and 30s at night in late fall and into early winter. I'll be itnerested to see what you all come up with.
Maggie