Second guessing my brooding pen / integration plans

[lazy gardener]

Quote: Current research supports that practice. Subsequent broods of chicks raised on bedding from previous broods of chicks have better growth, and improved feed conversion rate, increased viability than previous broods raised on clean bedding. Obviously, there has to be some common sense approach here. The bedding still needs to be dry, and not stinky poopy.

 

[BlueShadow]

Thanks for the clarification! I understand the theory. We had trouble with coccidiosis last year and lost some birds so I am going the route of clean - Clean - CLEAN with the chicks this year. I know they build immunity to it but I want them to get a good healthy start first before they get exposed.

 

[WesleyBeal]

I reduced my work hours last week so I could give more attention to the new chicks, and take care of other chores around the farm; as a result I spent much less time in front of my computer, so didn't provide any updates.

So far so good.

I left the heat lamp on overnight for the first 2 nights - more for the light than the heat.

Been worried a lot, as we had quite a cold spell, with freezing temperatures overnight. To hedge my bets I've been turning on the heat lamp when I go out in the morning and letting it run throughout the day, turning it off about an hour before sunset. It isn't low enough to raise the temperature to what they'd normally need - I'm just trying to keep the temperature in at least part of the brooding pen above 50 degrees or so. While I look forward to them feathering out sooner, calories spent keeping warm are calories not spent on growth. At some point hopefully soon, I'm going to swap the heat lamp bulb for a compact fluorescent, so they get some additional light but no heat. It's dim inside the coop, and I think the extra light helps them out.

I've been adding in old bedding from the coop, and to be safe I've provided them with chick sized grit a few times, sprinkled in with their feed.

I lost one chick on it's 9th day - I'm attributing that to chickitis - the rest are on day 13 now.

I'm curious - going to look into answer here - how early it's possible to start letting them move out of the brooder pen and mingle with the flock. So far all I've seen from the rest of the flock has been curiosity. As the weather warms up, the sooner I get them going in and out of the brooding pen, the better.

 

[aart]

Thinks your heating/lighting technique is good.

Not sure there's a consensus ...I waited until 4 weeks(3 weeks in coop)...think you saw my write up.
But as long as they're good and steady on their feet, go for it.
Cool you were able to adjust your work load to spend more time with chooks...what fun, eh?

 

[amoarmstrong]

Ok, so there is NO chick down covering my living room. They are currently in a Tupperware that I clean daily. They are all a week or less old. 3 are Bantams. I do not want to put them outside until they're ready. These are our first and only chickens.
I was simply looking for ideas on how to expand their space safely.

 

[WesleyBeal]

Short update on my efforts. Installed some additional roost space today. This was waiting for me when I went to lock things down this evening.

Had a hen go broody earlier this week, so I've given her her own nest, and 5 eggs to hatch. We'll see what happens.

 

[Blooie]

Your setup sounds just great. I also brood outdoors from the start. While I don't know this Plamandon stuff, I do keep shipped and newly hatched chicks indoors for the first couple of days under Mama Heating Pad, just until I KNOW they know about the Big 4s - how to eat, drink, and know get warm and how go to bed as the sun goes down. I'd never do that first day or two with a lamp, because I want them to understand day/night cycles from the start and they don't need to eat all day and all night long. But as soon as they've mastered the Big 4, out they go. The only exception is those suffering from shipping stress. I want to watch those. You can either rig a second, smaller heating pad in a box in the house for those couple of days, or simply transfer the heating pad setup out to the coop when you're ready to move them

You've got this! Lots of us do it, and will never look back. Any one of us is always available to answer questions as well.

@Little Fuzzy you are well on your way, by the way it sounds. Keep an eye on that Silkie, and expect an occasional reprimand from an adult as the chicks learn their place in the flock. If it gets out of hand, you can step in, but for the most part you should see that they figure it out pretty well. Seems most flocks end up with one grouch!

 

[aart]

Short update on my efforts. Installed some additional roost space today. This was waiting for me when I went to lock things down this evening.

View attachment 554314

Had a hen go broody earlier this week, so I've given her her own nest, and 5 eggs to hatch. We'll see what happens.

That pic is priceless!
With the big hen next to the chicks it's caption worthy...
"get away from me, do NOT touch me!"

You're gonna need more roost tho, once they grow up....
...and more chicks to be hatched?
Dude, beware the chicken math!

 

[WesleyBeal]

Your setup sounds just great. I also brood outdoors from the start. While I don't know this Plamandon stuff, I do keep shipped and newly hatched chicks indoors for the first couple of days under Mama Heating Pad, just until I KNOW they know about the Big 4s - how to eat, drink, and know get warm and how go to bed as the sun goes down. I'd never do that first day or two with a lamp, because I want them to understand day/night cycles from the start and they don't need to eat all day and all night long. But as soon as they've mastered the Big 4, out they go. The only exception is those suffering from shipping stress. I want to watch those. You can either rig a second, smaller heating pad in a box in the house for those couple of days, or simply transfer the heating pad setup out to the coop when you're ready to move them

You've got this! Lots of us do it, and will never look back. Any one of us is always available to answer questions as well.

@Little Fuzzy you are well on your way, by the way it sounds. Keep an eye on that Silkie, and expect an occasional reprimand from an adult as the chicks learn their place in the flock. If it gets out of hand, you can step in, but for the most part you should see that they figure it out pretty well. Seems most flocks end up with one grouch!

Thanks! Plamendon was suggesting they have light 24/7 for the first 3 days. Somewhere I saw Gail Damerow make the same suggestion. I *think* the idea being they should eat/drink every chance they get, and not have darkness or lack of knowledge of where things are impede them from that.

Jury is still out. It's one side of the argument.

I'm keeping a non-heat lamp (florescent, so not producing much heat at all) on during the day as it's fairly dim in the coop, especially with the weather we've had lately, and I figure the easier it is to see the food, the more likely they'll think "Hey, eating. Good idea!"

Don't know that it helps, but it isn't hurting either.

 

[WesleyBeal]

That pic is priceless!
With the big hen next to the chicks it's caption worthy...
"get away from me, do NOT touch me!"

You're gonna need more roost tho, once they grow up....
...and more chicks to be hatched?
Dude, beware the chicken math! View attachment 554798

Yeah. There is quite a bit more space to the left of frame. Have some sawhorses that will be a stop gap. Only 30 birds get to stay over winter; have 43 now with the chicks. Considered not letting the broody try. Went with 5 rather than more eggs for this reason. Hoping they're all roosters - will make decisions easier!

I do want to know if I've got a good broody and a good mother. That will result in this hen being kept. I want 1 Broody for now, maybe another later.