Raising baby chicks in the winter?

[france4862]

 

[france4862]

 

[jkraze]

EcoGlow. I raised chicks in my garage last winter with one. By the time it got really cold, they had plenty of feathers and did fine. I could have kicked them out, but I didn't have a coop ready for them. So they lived in the garage most of the winter.

The EcoGlow is much safer, has virtually no risk of fire and works like a mother hen. Mine have all done exceedingly well with it, even in an unheated garage.

I have two chicks now in the garage that I'll be kicking out to a coop this weekend, no heat. They could have gone a week or so ago. I got busy. Oh well.

I just ordered an EcoGlow from Amazon, and it should arrive Tuesday. The reviews were awesome! It should be much safer, and save on electricity, too. Now if they only made one for the coop, for those single-digit days!

Thanks for the tip!

 

[prestonhigg]

I jut bought some baby chicks and they are only about 2 weeks old but I would keep them In a garage with a light and a heater it also depends on what type of chicken you have

 

[centrarchid]

I am doing it in mid-Missouri with chicks that will be 6 weeks by Christmas. Currently they are with hens in pasture but will be weaned by the first of the year so will have a tough. They will stay out but will be kept in what will look like a double boiler. A box hen currently uses will be placed in a pen with a good wind break. Box itself will insulate chicks from colder air of pen and allow chicks to pile up a bit. Chicks will have dry placed to stand when out and about in part of the pen. These young guys are the only ones that will have free-choice access to food during coldest part of winter.

 

[Cknldy]

Our winters are usually very cold and plenty of snow. Usually starts snowing by the 2nd week of October but I went ahead with getting chicks of the breeds I wanted now so they will be laying by Spring and Summer next year. I say Mother Nature wants me to succeed because it has been unseasonably warm! Here is how my chicks did- hatched Oct. 16, arrived Oct 18. Had 51. All together in brooder in house 1st week. Separated standards and bantams to their own brooder boxes in house 2nd week. Third week all went into their standard and bantam outdoor brooders with plenty of top ventilation and 1 light in each brooder "house". When afternoons were warm, shut off light for a few hours. By week 4 (last week) standards and bantams were transitioned to no light/heat because they are completely feathered out! They are healthy and happy chickies of different breeds: everything from layers (buff orps, white leghorns) to rare and exotics (russian orloffs, crevecoeurs, buff polish, etc) to bantams (silver sebrights and mille fleur bearded duccles). Been raising chickens for a few years now and all chicks I've ever hatched/raised no matter the season have always been fully feathered by 4 or 5 weeks old.

 

[skunknchatter]

I have one lone chick living in my kitchen at night. My hens hatched her in early October (the only chick from 3 months of having 2 broody hens...) and I had to bring her in. We get really cold winters here so I'm afraid she'll be in til spring. I take her out on the nice sunny/warmer days and put her in the coop to get everyone used to her and to get her the heck out of my kitchen. I can't leave her out because my coop is a chain link dog kennel with a raised "chicken house" in it. So the chickens are outside except at night mostly. Good luck keeping your chickies warm and cozy!

 

[SunnySkies]

I just ordered an EcoGlow from Amazon, and it should arrive Tuesday. The reviews were awesome! It should be much safer, and save on electricity, too. Now if they only made one for the coop, for those single-digit days!  Thanks for the tip!

by the time they quit relying on the Eco, they will be fully feathered and ready to sleep in a coop. Last of this year's chicks are out in a coop now.

An adult chicken would never use one. Their feathers are completely adequate for keeping them warm without supplemental heat. If you supplement their coop, they won't feather in as well and can get cold. This is the principle horse show people use...we blanket and heat the barn so we don't have to clip!

 

[texgardengal]

I have one lone chick living in my kitchen at night. My hens hatched her in early October

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My hen is hatching 7 eggs and they are due any day. My coop is surrounded by a fence but, like yours, is too big to keep baby chicks in... I wasn't sure what to do but I read your post and that may be my answer... Bring the baby's in the house after she hatches them. Do you bring the momma hen in the house too? How do you keep them in during the day?? Do they stay pretty close to mom?

 

[centrarchid]

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My hen is hatching 7 eggs and they are due any day. My coop is surrounded by a fence but, like yours, is too big to keep baby chicks in... I wasn't sure what to do but I read your post and that may be my answer... Bring the baby's in the house after she hatches them. Do you bring the momma hen in the house too? How do you keep them in during the day?? Do they stay pretty close to mom?

With hen, no cage is too big to keep chicks in. If cage material too course, hen will call chicks back. Leave hen and chicks outside and make so the have dry wind protected refuge. Biggest challenge will be keeping them in water.