Show off your Delawares! *PIC HEAVY*

[speckledhen]

In the picture just before Midge, both the front bird and the one in back on the right are boys, Kathy. I do think in a week or two, all the boys should be very obvious.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Wonderful pictures! It is so fun to watch them all develop and change.

Kathy, that is one big brooder! I need one like that.

Joletabey, how old are you chicks and are they outside already and doing well? Is it cold there in NC? The reason I am asking is I would love to put some of mine outside. We are however having unseasonable cold snaps, not the usual fairly mild winter. It is getting in the low 20's and has even hit the teens already.

I have 4 week olds and they aren't feathered out completely so I guess it is the garage again. Boy do they get dander everywhere!

 

[joletabey]

Rustyswoman,
Mine are in a 8' by 30" plywood box,which is also 30" high, with a hardware cloth top, which I keep mostly covered with old rugs and blankets. There are open squares for ventilation. I also wrapped insulation around the outside of it, so it can sit up next to the house on our screened porch, which is on the north side of the house. It got down to 28 last night and the brooder temp by the red bulb was 90 degrees- most of them were NOT underneath it, in fact many of them spend their time by the 150 watt white light at the other end, playing and eating. They are four weeks old tomorrow, I think, and not completely feathered out. I was hoping to put them out at the end of next week, but Superchick is way behind in feathering, and I will wait for her/him - hence the new Plywood Palace, the two lights and all the space in which to choose comfortable temps. I don't notice the dust out there, but they spent two days in my piano room two weeks ago, when the temps hit 18, and I STILL have dust to deal with, after cleaning twice- I think it swirls up in the air and settles back down when I clean!!!

Since it is winter, I will probably still put the red light in the little coop when they move.....for their night time use, at least. It has been a nasty, wet fall, and so maybe I will just leave it on, I don't know. I hate the idea of them being wet and cold even if they are feathered out! My babies!!!!

 

[Cetawin]

Quote:
hahahaha He knows about the scorned Dellies...Fattie gives him a good bite every now and again. Cannonball is just well Cannonball.

rustyswoman congrats on the new bator. Yay more Dellies!

joletabey...my babies are in small coops (4 in each) in the garage with their heat lamps. They will go out in a few more weeks....I want to cover the outside of the little coops with plywood first, right now it is hardwire cloth. Our winters are wet and cold so I will take no chances.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Thanks Joletabey for that info.
I couldn't take the big ones being downstairs anymore. They are making a stinky mess every few days and going through alot of litter.

So I just put them in the garage. We will see how it works and I am going to take your suggestion and put some spare blankets on top of the brooder. Well away from the brooder light though.

I had to get inventive because I haven't made a new brooder yet (It is freezing cold outside!) so I took the plastic pool for the geese and circled it with 3 foot hardware cloth. Tight so they can't fall through any gaps.

Then I took Kathys suggestion and covered with netting. I ran the wires for the brooder and hanging feeder through the netting and attached to the rafters. I also left a small section of netting available to open to replace food and water.
They seem to be loving the extra space.

Cetawin, that is what I thought too when I make another brooder. To make it with hardware cloth and then use plywood in the winter and just screw it on so that it is removable for the warmer months. I wish I had some extra brooders!

 

[joletabey]

I have two lids to mine - bent the wire to get the red light so it would hang inside, the white lite is just above the whole thing- worked well for me. I would use it in summer without the insulation and blankets - draft free- I get lovely breezes on that porch all summer long and the nights are cool enough to warrant a closed brooder.
It's a little heavy to handle by myself, but DH and I can certainly move it.

 

[kathyinmo]

My brooder in the garage works great ... it's simple, and free! It is 8 ft x 6 ft and is 3 foot tall. I got all the super large heavy duty boxes from the furniture store. The bottom is lined with the also. Perfect ... and disposable!

Well, today I moved them all out ... well, all except the Dellies. They are a week younger than the others, so I will wait a few more days. I will keep Midge and a couple of the Lavender Ops inside until they feather out better. I am giving them vitamins and extra protein daily. I could see an improvement within 3 days! The ones I took out, are running all over ... as if enjoying their freedom! LOL They aren't even staying under the 2 heat lamps. They are 5 weeks old. These are my Halloween hatch babies.

The outside area I have them in is inside the layers coop, where my original hatchery birds live. Believe me, they are not happy about all this business! I have only 15 of them left, and they should be leaving this week. DH and DS rigged up an area under the droppings board and also down the side (L shaped). So, they have over 1/3 of the coop, and it is a 12' x 16' coop. Oh, here, I'll go take a picture .... There is a piece of plywood there, under the ladder. I moved it for the picture. Also put smooth tin on back wall and left side, to help hold in heat, near the lights. One light on the left end and another about 3 feet away. I will keep a close eye on them.

 

[joletabey]

Kathyinmo,
what is the white pipe/tube thing that looks like two wires are coming out of it - did you bury lamp wires or extensions cords?

 

[kathyinmo]

It's PVC pipe, with the cords in them. We have electricity in the coop. I covered the cords with the PVC pipe to decrease the curiosity of the hens. There is also a piece of plywood in front of it, so they can't really see it now.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

It's nerve wracking to move them out. I keep checking on the ones in the garage and they are just happy as clams!