I too was ready for them to go out to the barn at 2 weeks, so we moved them out there but I was up and down for those 2 nights because the temp couldn't get stable and I go NO sleep... so I moved them back into the house. I am so tired of dusting every day and sweeping and mopping every day BUT I do enjoy just going in there and watching them, playing with them, getting them use to being picked up and handled. That's one thing for sure different, any time we had to do anything with the chickens I grew up with, it was an amazing feet to catch one of those dang birds. At least most of mine will come right up to me.This year we learned just how much we 'babied' our group from last year. The new guys had heat for the first couple of days and that was it. We did brood in the house because it was easier. With them being in the house, we were ready for them to be outside at 2 weeks, no extra heat. Power in numbers on the no heat thing though, I probably wouldn't do it with less than 20 chicks. I am not using that as an excuse to always have at least 20 chicks at once...The new chicks from this year have grown faster, run around like crazy, flutter up higher and more than our group from last year. The biggest issue we've had, and only losses, is that our grow out pen was secure for the 6 week old chicks (that had been brooded in our garage last year) but not secure enough for the smaller guys. Our dog has killed a number of chicks that have gotten out this year, we kept thinking we had fixed the spot and they would find another...We had no losses during the crazy cold snaps and all they had was hay for bedding with an upside down Rubbermaid container with a cutout and each other. Keeping in mind we live in Odessa and rain is not an issue here.
I think we will always brood in the house for convenience but my husband does have some extra space in his shed that might work...
That was way to close. That's what it looked like at my house too. wild
Bad tree. Almost took out my roses.
Can't see it but there's a tree limb between my nova and my car. Tornado threw it twenty feet!!
That tree there missed the house by twenty feet, and my flower bed by two... Close call!!
That's great you have those perks! And I want to get me a couple of Silkies just for that very reason.
So cute! They are on my list! LOLWhew! Glad it missed you...scary.
Janet, here are my Silkie pics.
Keep in mind, my white has NO comb.
And it doesn't show it well in the pictures, but his comb is getting just a smidge of deep, deep red.
Oops, I said his...lol. I guess I'm leaning in the cockerel direction.
He/She's 7-9 weeks...leaning closer to 9.
I might have to change his name. Coco isn't very masculine...
Whew! Glad it missed you...scary.
Janet, here are my Silkie pics.
Keep in mind, my white has NO comb.
And it doesn't show it well in the pictures, but his comb is getting just a smidge of deep, deep red.
Oops, I said his...lol. I guess I'm leaning in the cockerel direction.
He/She's 7-9 weeks...leaning closer to 9.
I might have to change his name. Coco isn't very masculine...
