Raising chicks old school

[Helenhowes0]

First I'll have some fun. I'll apologize in advance.

Heat lamps have been a thing for over 100 years, have had many different uses. Probably not many people active on this forum from before heat lamps were used. Even I'm not that old though Dad used an incandescent light.

The ancient Egyptians and ancient Chinese hatched chicks in incubators and raised them without broody hens. There is speculation the Egyptians probably used that method to help feed the people building the Pyramids. Yeah, a long time ago. People like to think all of this stuff is new, but it's not really.

Now, more seriously. About 45 to 50 years ago when I was spending a lot of time in UK hotels and even living in an apartment there I noticed the bathrooms were often cold. Some did not even have hot running water. The term "cold water flat" was pretty common. We had those in the US also so I ask my UK friends to not get too mad at me. Some bathrooms were fairly nice though with heat.

I have no idea how suitable that potential buyer's bathroom would be to raise chicks in. If I exercised more by jumping to conclusions I'd probably be in better physical shape, but I try to avoid that. You can ask any questions you want. If they get mad, you will soon get over it and they probably will too. But the bottom line, if you are uncomfortable selling to them, don't.

Dont I feel silly Thank you for this iam feeling a lot more comfortable with the decision I made to question the buyers actions and this will help me with possible future buyers (if any that is)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

As a seller, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable asking questions, you are selling living beings, not dishware. I tried to buy a dog once and had to fill out something like a 16-page questionnaire and got rejected! I think you should feel free to ask for pictures of the brooder and also of the coop and run to be sure your babies aren't going to end up being dog food or raccoon fodder.

But ... that's me. I haven't sold any yet. I'm planning to, and I think that's what I'll do.

 

[RoyalChick]

As a seller, you shouldn't feel uncomfortable asking questions, you are selling living beings, not dishware. I tried to buy a dog once and had to fill out something like a 16-page questionnaire and got rejected! I think you should feel free to ask for pictures of the brooder and also of the coop and run to be sure your babies aren't going to end up being dog food or raccoon fodder.

But ... that's me. I haven't sold any yet. I'm planning to, and I think that's what I'll do.

I agree. I had to fill out a questionnaire to adopt my rescue kittens from the shelter. And then because one was all black and it was nearly Halloween I had to get my vet to give me a character reference. Fortunately my vet has known me for over 20 years and knows I always have black cats in the family being spoiled rotten!

 

[Beachygal]

Chicks can regulate their own body temperature once they are fully feathered. They feather at different rates because there are different genes involved, and at least 5 different feathering rates are recognized. Fast featherers may have enough feathers over their body by the end of the first week to manage, especially during summer if the temperature where they are kept does not drop badly overnight. Very slow featherers may be still mostly covered in down at the end of 3 weeks. So it depends on the individual chicks' genes, and the time of year and ambient temperatures where you are. You can assess the feathering rate per chick yourself; don't sell any that don't at least have wing feathers to their bums to keep their torsos warm.

I keep heat on even in summer until i see that they’re staying away from it. Then I turn it off.
Summer temps here are staying in the 80’s at night and our chick brooder is inside a building.

 

[FlockVillemaire]

P.S. Before heat lamps were "a thing", people used broody hens to incubate and raise their chicks, so it's not like the babies ran around people's bathrooms...

I'm currently raising 4 broods/2ages of chicks with broodies. I live in hot/dry "Mediterranean" summer USDA Zone 9B Northern California, and have noticed that the younger F3? Olive Egger Backcross chicks at 1 week old are splaying out from their momma when still warmer early at night then under as temps drop before dawn. We have had the warmest nights (typically cool in summer) where we get at between 50 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10-15.6°C).

So my full sized chicks would not be OK without their heat source until far better feathered. Even my elder 4wk chicks continue to find intermittent warmth under their broody mammas.

 

[EggyErin]

I’ve often bought six-week to two-month old chicks just so I wouldn’t have to grow them out. You might intentionally grow them out to that point to sell. Your price, plus more as they age, is fine.

 

[McChooky]

The bathroom is the most humid room in the house .Might be suitable for an incubator but definitely not a chick.I wouldn't sell someone a house chicken if they've never raised chickens before.