Second guessing my brooding pen / integration plans

[WesleyBeal]

Ok, yep, that's your article. Gave me the idea for my brooder cage. Haven't made my doors as adjustable as yours. But the principal is the same.

 

[azygous]

I'd almost forgotten until aart mentioned adding extra straw around the heating pad on really cold nights - I throw a folded wool blanket over the heating pad when it was to get down below freezing. That tends to focus more heat downward to where the chicks are.

As for 24/7 light, one of the biggest benefits of the heating pad is the absence of light. Again, the broody hen analogy - she has no running lights that go on at night so the chicks can pig out all night on food. They don't need to eat at night. They quickly establish a day/night rhythm and they fall into a pattern of eating all they require during the daylight hours and they sleep all night. This is nature's way.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I have 3 three week old chicks I tried to put under a seriously broody Silkie which she immediately rejected. They were only 3 days old at the time. So I put them in the brooder and just now brought them out to raise them in the coop. They go into my broody busting wire cage at night with heat lamp . in day they roam the run while the bigs are free ranging. Today my big girls would not shut up about being separated from their nesting boxes so i let them all into the run. No one made a bother about the chicks except the Silkie. She pecked at them. Its nice to know that may be normal. I'm wondering if at 4 weeks I should try integration?

 

[aart]

I'd almost forgotten until aart mentioned adding extra straw around the heating pad on really cold nights - I throw a folded wool blanket over the heating pad when it was to get down below freezing. That tends to focus more heat downward to where the chicks are.

As for 24/7 light, one of the biggest benefits of the heating pad is the absence of light. Again, the broody hen analogy - she has no running lights that go on at night so the chicks can pig out all night on food. They don't need to eat at night. They quickly establish a day/night rhythm and they fall into a pattern of eating all they require during the daylight hours and they sleep all night. This is nature's way.

Agrees.

 

[WesleyBeal]

Agrees.

I agree with the idea. I still want to know more about his reasoning, though. We can't follow that logic forever without letting our chickens roost in trees and dispense with coops.

I know that's not being suggested; just saying that we make some decisions for a reason, and now more than ever I want to know why he thinks they should have light for the first 72 hours.

 

[WesleyBeal]

I have 3 three week old chicks I tried to put under a seriously broody Silkie which she immediately rejected. They were only 3 days old at the time. So I put them in the brooder and just now brought them out to raise them in the coop. They go into my broody busting wire cage at night with heat lamp . in day they roam the run while the bigs are free ranging. Today my big girls would not shut up about being separated from their nesting boxes so i let them all into the run. No one made a bother about the chicks except the Silkie. She pecked at them. Its nice to know that may be normal. I'm wondering if at 4 weeks I should try integration?

If I understand what you're saying, sounds like you're about there already!

 

[burlapfootstool]

I agree with the idea. I still want to know more about his reasoning, though. We can't follow that logic forever without letting our chickens roost in trees and dispense with coops.

This is the person who said "There was little information on free-range poultry back then, and most of it was wrong."

The whole world was free-range chicken. How the f can you not get data.

 

[aart]

Quote: Yeah, well, even the best chicken 'gurus' do things that don't make sense at times.
A person might have some really good experience, equipment and techniques,
doesn't mean everything they use or do needs to be utilized or adhered too.
And some of the 'old ways' do become logically obsolete.
Like all info, you need to sort through, it apply your own logic for your situation, and do what feels right to you.

Was thinking of your 'second guessing'...first time round is always hard with live animals.
You'll figure it out, get thru the hard times and decisions.
I often tell myself, in the deep southern twang as I first heard it........It'll be alright.

 

[WesleyBeal]

I agree with the idea. I still want to know more about his reasoning, though. We can't follow that logic forever without letting our chickens roost in trees and dispense with coops.

I know that's not being suggested; just saying that we make some decisions for a reason, and now more than ever I want to know why he thinks they should have light for the first 72 hours.

Curiosity led me to buy his book for more information on his thinking.

A link to where he mentions this on his website:
http://www.plamondon.com/wp/prepare-care-baby-chicks/

I haven't finished it yet, but in his book (https://www.amazon.com/Success-Baby-Chicks-Selection-Mail-Order/dp/0972177000) he talks about chicks being attracted to light, and about chicks getting lost before they've learned where everything is in the brooder.

If the heated area is lit, it shows the chicks where to go. He advises against using red bulbs:
Quote:
In another part he says "Once they know where everything is, they don't need much light to get around, but when everything is new and strange, they are better at figuring out the world around them if it is well illuminated."

Again, I'm not saying I think this means chicks should have light 24/7 for the first 3 days. I'm figuring out what his argument is for making that case.

It does have me thinking about coming up with an attractor light for underneath the heating pad at first, to teach them where to go....

 

[aart]

Light can be an attractant, I've used one under the heating pad myself...helped.... kinda.
I also use a light(100W) over the feed/water station the first day or two after hatching, to make sure they are eating. drinking, and properly mobile.
But by mid-late afternoon, that light goes off and they get shoved under the pad at dark if they haven't found their way on their own.
Just keep it in mind as a tool, but I wouldn't get too hung on the 3 days of 24/7 lighting...might be more important if you're raising large numbers of chicks.