Taking care of Chicks hatched in cold weather

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welcome-byc.gif
 
Thanks everyone. Hen and chicks all doing great :) 9 little fluff balls keeps her busy haha
 
Hello there, and welcome to Backyard Chickens! I am so glad you joined us, I do hope you will make yourself at home here. Enjoy BYC!
 
Welcome to BYC...and congrats on the new little family.

Your setup concerns me a little bit. Is that glow inside the tire looking thingy the heat lamp installed in there, facing up? I've heard of other people doing this, most recently a gentleman who lives about 15 miles from here. He thought confining the heat to one spot inside an old tire would warm the two broodies he had in the broody hut, and that the radiant heat coming from the tires would keep the hens warm while letting them warm the chicks the natural way. He lost 3 out of 12 chicks when they flew up to the tire and fell into the heat lamp. That shorted out the heat lamp and he darn near lost his entire barn. I don't want to scare you, and if that isn't what you have set up there then I apologize, but that's how it looks from the photo.

If you are concerned about the cold with your little family, I think the chicks will be fine as long as she is doing a good job of covering them. Remember that she's got little heaters disguised as chicks underneath her all night long, too. Chicks NEED some cold in order to strengthen and feather out faster. They know what to do - if they get chilled or scared they'll just pop under her for a bit. If you want to use a heat lamp, then make sure you brooder is large enough to keep her from overheating. If she gets too uncomfortable she may abandon the chicks. And make sure that it's 100% + secured...those clamps are flimsy at best and dangerous at their worst.

I raise chicks outdoors in a wire pen inside our run, and here in northwestern Wyoming in springtime the temps are anything but spring-like. My chicks - even my more fragile ones like Silkies - are perfectly content from day one out there, and I don't use a heat lamp for them at all, despite temps in the teens and twenties and sideways blowing snow. I replicate a mother hen as closely as possible with a heating pad draped over a metal frame and covered with straw. They duck in, they duck out, they nap on top and around it, and they thrive. I don't heat or insulate my coop or run, and my adults do great. That is why I think that if you let her just do what comes naturally to her they'll all be fine. After all, your broody hen is even better than Mama Heating Pad! It's not the optimum time to raise chicks in a colder area of the country, I know, but we play the cards we are dealt sometimes.

One other precaution you might want to take...watch them around the waterer. I had a broody hen hatched chick freeze his feet at the water when the temps went from the 60s and 70s to -17 within just 2 days. But I still think that if she can raise them without assistance, she should be allowed to do so. Better for them and better for her. Good luck with them!!
 
Blooie said:
Welcome to BYC...and congrats on the new little family.

Your setup concerns me a little bit. Is that glow inside the tire looking thingy the heat lamp installed in there, facing up?  I've heard of other people doing this, most recently a gentleman who lives about 15 miles from here.  He thought confining the heat to one spot inside an old tire would warm the two broodies he had in the broody hut, and that the radiant heat coming from the tires would keep the hens warm while letting them warm the chicks the natural way.  He lost 3 out  of 12 chicks when they flew up to the tire and fell into the heat lamp.  That shorted out the heat lamp and he darn near lost his entire barn.  I don't want to scare you, and if that isn't what you have set up there then I apologize, but that's how it looks from the photo.

If you are concerned about the cold with your little family, I think the chicks will be fine as long as she is doing a good job of covering them.  Remember that she's got little heaters disguised as chicks underneath her all night long, too.  Chicks NEED some cold in order to strengthen and feather out faster.  They know what to do - if they get chilled or scared they'll just pop under her for a bit.  If you want to use a heat lamp, then make sure you brooder is large enough to keep her from overheating.  If she gets too uncomfortable she may abandon the chicks. And make sure that it's 100% + secured...those clamps are flimsy at best and dangerous at their worst.  

I raise chicks outdoors in a wire pen inside our run, and here in northwestern Wyoming in springtime the temps are anything but spring-like.  My chicks - even my more fragile ones like Silkies - are perfectly content from day one out there, and I don't use a heat lamp for them at all, despite temps in the teens and twenties and sideways blowing snow.   I replicate a mother hen as closely as possible with a heating pad draped over a metal frame and covered with straw.  They duck in, they duck out, they nap on top and around it, and they thrive.  I don't heat or insulate my coop or run, and my adults do great.  That is why I think that if you let her just do what comes naturally to her they'll all be fine. After all, your broody hen is even better than Mama Heating Pad!   It's not the optimum time to raise chicks in a colder area of the country, I know, but we play the cards we are dealt sometimes.

One other precaution you might want to take...watch them around the waterer.  I had a broody hen hatched chick freeze his feet at the water when the temps went from the 60s and 70s to -17 within just 2 days.  But I still think that if she can raise them without assistance, she should be allowed to do so.  Better for them and better for her.  Good luck with them!!
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Hi. Thanks for your concern and tips. It is a heat lamp hanging from the ceiling with just a regular light bulb for light. No heat lamp or upside down lamp. The small tire in there is more just for something for them to "play" with and sit on. The mother is doing a fantastic job. All I do is make sure they have food and water and she is doing the rest. Thanks again!
 

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