Question About Temperature Extremes

[bdfive]

The UltraKibble is excellent. Minxfox, what other feed do you give your peafowl? I use Purina Game Bird Chow. Since the UltrKibble is high protein I bought a bag of "Maintenance" which I think is only 12% but then felt guilty it being so low so bought the Flight Conditioner, 19%. I hope I'm not giving them to much protein.

There is frost on the ground this morning. I can see the field on the 50 acres next door through all the trees and it's gorgeous with the sun shinning on it. I'll be happy when this cold front has worked it's way through....don't like this freezing weather. It's 28 out now.

 

[Ntsees]

Was reading a lot yesterday about Resolution's ultrakibble. I'm very tempted to get them for my birds.

 

[bdfive]

I've been using the large bags for several months. I have well fed healthy birds but do believe UltraKibble has improved there health and appearence even more.

 

[Yoda]

Our local zoo had the building that housed the peafowl burn down, all of the peas died. They said it was caused by the heater, but didn't say what they used for heat. I imagine that would be a horrible way to die too. How does one know for sure that a bird froze to death without having a necropsy done? I have never had a bird freeze to death. I did have a case where we had temps in the 90's on Oct 1st, then on Oct 5th we had temps in the lower 30's and got hit with a bad blizzard with 16" of heavy wet snow. I had a turkey hen with her 6 babies still loose outside and they all got separated and disappeared. Since the babies were only 2 1/2 months old, I figured I lost them. They showed up one or two at a time over the next few days, and none were lost. I was amazed! I also had a White Holland turkey take off after their building collapsed under the snow load a few years ago. I couldn't find her, and finally gave up. It was December and I figured either the weather of predators got her. We had a lot of snow, a few major blizzards, and some really cold weather that winter. The following March, a neighbor called to say there was a white turkey hen in her yard. I got my girl back. I have no idea of where she was or what she ate, but she made it through the winter on her own.

Frosty,
I don't use the same heat lamp that everyone else uses. Mine uses a regular watt bulb not that 250 watt one. I use a 75 watt buld and the birds gather around it. I will have to take a picture of it cause the place I buy it from calls them heat lamps but I think they are also known as reflector lamps. Yes I had a chick freeze to death it was a silkie, I vowed never again. Whether you want to believe me or not, I know it froze to death and I had another almost freeze to death, I thought it was dead til the head moved very slightly. Under the heat lamp it went and it was up on it's feet in 2 days.

 

[Haunted55]

Frosty,
I don't use the same heat lamp that everyone else uses. Mine uses a regular watt bulb not that 250 watt one. I use a 75 watt buld and the birds gather around it. I will have to take a picture of it cause the place I buy it from calls them heat lamps but I think they are also known as reflector lamps. Yes I had a chick freeze to death it was a silkie, I vowed never again. Whether you want to believe me or not, I know it froze to death and I had another almost freeze to death, I thought it was dead til the head moved very slightly. Under the heat lamp it went and it was up on it's feet in 2 days.

I do the same thing Yoda. I do use the regular heat lamp lights but the smaller bulbs in them when I am doing a small space. Like a plastic brooder. No way do those babies need a 250 watt light in my house. They either get a 100 watt bulb or 75, depending on the temps.. Glad to know I'm not alone!

 

[Haunted55]

One caution with these lights. Please make sure they are rated for the 75 watts. So many things now are made overseas and the workmanship can be less than perfect. These work light are sometimes rated for 60 watts and no more. I know they're cheaper but in the long run it may not be worth it. Get the ones that have the ceramic fixture. That way you can run any size bulb you need without worrying. I'd hate to hear of an accident later on. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Trefoil]

Do you all feed boss shelled or with the shells on? Every couple of days I add chopped boiled egg to their feed, they like it. When they were babies I fed them kent 27% starter, usually mixed with boiled eggs ( I have chickens) and well blended broccoli, which they also really like. They don't really care for cranberries, but canned peas and carrots are great. I have been giving my 6 month olds fermented ( or sometimes just wet) chicken grower so I try to add extras to it. My meal worms have slowed down so I'm feeding dried ones, I don't think they like them as much as the live wiggling ones, so I add them to their feed. They have lately discovered the whole wheat I leave out for my geese and really think they're getting something special. Tonight when I went to lock them up for the night, they had moved in with my ducks and were roosting outside, I left them because its only supposed to get down to 31 tonight. I worry about how they will handle the cold and am not sure they are smart enough to go in the coop. I hope so. Has anyone tried using an electric wall panel heater like here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Econo-Heat-...692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7bf0e7b4
I don't know how adjustable they are but it doesn't seem like they would be as much a fire hazard as a light

​

 

[Haunted55]

Do you all feed boss shelled or with the shells on? Every couple of days I add chopped boiled egg to their feed, they like it. When they were babies I fed them kent 27% starter, usually mixed with boiled eggs ( I have chickens) and well blended broccoli, which they also really like. They don't really care for cranberries, but canned peas and carrots are great. I have been giving my 6 month olds fermented ( or sometimes just wet) chicken grower so I try to add extras to it. My meal worms have slowed down so I'm feeding dried ones, I don't think they like them as much as the live wiggling ones, so I add them to their feed. They have lately discovered the whole wheat I leave out for my geese and really think they're getting something special. Tonight when I went to lock them up for the night, they had moved in with my ducks and were roosting outside, I left them because its only supposed to get down to 31 tonight. I worry about how they will handle the cold and am not sure they are smart enough to go in the coop. I hope so. Has anyone tried using an electric wall panel heater like here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Econo-Heat-...692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7bf0e7b4
I don't know how adjustable they are but it doesn't seem like they would be as much a fire hazard as a light

​

One of the first books I got on chickens, the author mentions he used something like this in his houses behind the roosts. I really hesitate to use anything electric as our power is so very expensive here. It is sealed though, so it should work fine. I agree with you about the lights. Even using a 100 watt bulb, you could still have a fire. I'm working on something for my own houses right now. It has to be cheap to build, cheap to run and low maintenance. No electricity either. Not sure if the on paper will work in reality, but am going to give it a try.

 

[Frosty]

Frosty,
I don't use the same heat lamp that everyone else uses. Mine uses a regular watt bulb not that 250 watt one. I use a 75 watt buld and the birds gather around it. I will have to take a picture of it cause the place I buy it from calls them heat lamps but I think they are also known as reflector lamps. Yes I had a chick freeze to death it was a silkie, I vowed never again. Whether you want to believe me or not, I know it froze to death and I had another almost freeze to death, I thought it was dead til the head moved very slightly. Under the heat lamp it went and it was up on it's feet in 2 days.

Not saying I don't believe you Yoda, I'm just baffled... I had a Silkie rooster for 5 years, the only reason I don't have him any more is because I depopulated my older flock. I also had Sebrights for a few years. Maybe it's because I supplement with corn over the winter? I doubt a heatlamp would even make a difference around here... I had one suspended about a foot above the water for some young chicks, the water froze anyhow. I did find out that those base water heaters that they sell for poultry will actually keep the water from totally freezing down to about -10. Though at those temps the fount has to be brought in to thaw before filling again. The sides and top of the water freeze so you can't pull the top up to open them. You can pull the top part way up but that creates a vacuum and stops it.

 

[bdfive]

Do you all feed boss shelled or with the shells on? Every couple of days I add chopped boiled egg to their feed, they like it. When they were babies I fed them kent 27% starter, usually mixed with boiled eggs ( I have chickens) and well blended broccoli, which they also really like. They don't really care for cranberries, but canned peas and carrots are great. I have been giving my 6 month olds fermented ( or sometimes just wet) chicken grower so I try to add extras to it. My meal worms have slowed down so I'm feeding dried ones, I don't think they like them as much as the live wiggling ones, so I add them to their feed. They have lately discovered the whole wheat I leave out for my geese and really think they're getting something special. Tonight when I went to lock them up for the night, they had moved in with my ducks and were roosting outside, I left them because its only supposed to get down to 31 tonight. I worry about how they will handle the cold and am not sure they are smart enough to go in the coop. I hope so. Has anyone tried using an electric wall panel heater like here
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Econo-Heat-...692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a7bf0e7b4
I don't know how adjustable they are but it doesn't seem like they would be as much a fire hazard as a light

​

I don't even know what boss is. Just tried to find picture but unsuccessful. Did read several times that Flax seed is better but it can spoil. Don't know what that is either. I scramble the eggs, they also eat broccoli, carrots, beets, cabbage, squash, actually just about any vegetable there is. I cut it up in our Vita-Mix 5200. Can't think of a fruit they don't like so my peas get quit a variety but don't feed them so much that they don't eat their Game Bird Feed rations.

I'm going to be ordering live 10,000 meal worms this week for about $40 plus shipping. How much trouble is it to breed them? Do you purchase the dried ones locally? Cost?

Regarding heat....I'm now leery of using the heat lamps but only need them for peachicks. It doesn't get that cold in this part of Texas. The wall panel heater looks like a great idea. Electric is expensive here too but water has gone up 72%.