Raising chicks for the first time...

[Jacklynn]

So I have found some show quality Bantam Cochin chicks from a pretty reputable breeder. I want to get them, but they cannot come in my house...

So is there a wauy to keep them in my shed or in my barn in. A cage or box with the heating lamp on them? Or will it still be too cold? I will be using a 150 watt bulb.

Could I use a heating pad aswell?

Would any of this even work ? I don' want to kill them

Thanks and merry Chrisrmas !

 

[NonnasBabies]

It really all depends. You don't say where your from or how cold it is there!

If you can have them where they are completly protected from the elements and draft free and can keep the brooder at the temp it needs then you should be fine.

 

[Jacklynn]

My bad! I live in Southern Ontario. Temps are from the teens to the mid twenties.
If I make a brooder type thing in the barn, it would be draft free and away from the elements

 

[Liamm_1]

temps 90*F the first week, dropping 5*F per week until acclimated to the outside weather and fully feathered in (~6 weeks).
Any long term power outage could cause problems.

 

[donrae]

You'd want a box, with solid sides, vs a cage with wire or open sides. No drafts. I think you'd be fine as long as you're able to provide the right amount of heat as stated prev. Be sure they can get to a cooler area also, they don't need to be that hot all the time. Keep some heat on them until they are fully feathered, and maybe for a while after just cause they're babies.

 

[Jacklynn]

Quote:
Alright great ! I'll use a large plastic totebin.

They will have a 150 watt bulb on one side of the bin, will that be good enough if it's close to them ?

 

[Rainwolf]

a tote works good and if you go get one get it the biggest you can work with.. trust me they grow fast!

I used a old toy box for one of my grow out brooders made a lid with corrugated plastic roofing which allows air but no fly outs or poppers (jumping chicks to "pop" out.) This allowed me to move it about the yard areas and not worry about rain getting in.

what ever you do make sure you TIE DOWN THE HEAT SOURCE!
chicks and juveniles love to bump things as they gain their legs etc...
They will bump the light/heat source and if you just use the clamp thing your asking for a fire accident.
Also use a ceramic light socket that is rated to handle 250W. The plastic ones even if rated 250W are not able to handle 24/7 usage. They can and do melt, short, fry etc...

 

[Rainwolf]

any heat source is good as long as it is:
Safe from fire
Provides the correct temperatures needed
Is stable (temp does not flux wildly)
They have area to get away from the heat

I place food water at one end and light/heat at the other.

You might want to have 2 lights plugged into 2 sockets for safety incase one light burns out or otherwise fails.
Then at least if 1 fails they are cold but still alive when you find them and fix the problem.

 

[j&jhenhaven]

We hung an inexpensive outdoor type thermometer in each plastic tote to monitor the temperatures. We taped them (super strength duck tape) to the back wall of the tote and suspended a brooder light above the tote in the area where the thermometer was located. The largest clear plastic sterilite tote worked great. These were about 4' long and three fit well on a 4'x8' folding table. Wire closet shelving cut to fit the opening of the tote worked great to keep the fuzzy butts inside the brooders. We are first timers too and have 50+ youngsters now feathered out and settled into their secure and warm hen house and run for a week now. All is well!

Good luck with yours. And, like children, enjoy every minute you can spend with them. They are amazing and grow up soooo fast.

 

[math ace]

I recently used a kiddie swimming plastic pool. I put a very thin layer of mulch in it for footing. ALSO, I used chicken wire just inside the pool rim to make the sides of the pool 3 feet tall instead of a few inches. I was able to keep 18 chicks in it for almost 3 weeks!

HEAT LAMP - - You really should use a red heat lamp and reflector. You adjust the temp by moving the light higher and lower. With a big area like the kiddie pool, the chicks will get right under the light when they are cold and move away from it when they are hot.