Texas

[Starfire669]

Repost:
Hey you guys I'm going to hatch some chicks in July and I will be keeping them in an outdoor brooder(if its ok). Will it be okay for them to be out there from day 2 or do they need to stay in longer? I figured they would not need a heatlamp because......we live in Texas. Will this all be okay? I need to know. If they can't go outside immediately I can accommodate that. I do have a heat lamp if they need it and they will have a good brooder. I have had many batches of chicks, but I've just never hatched them before or used an outdoor brooder. The family refuses to have the chicks inside for the usual 2-3 months . Thanks
-alicia

What I did with my last batch of chicks and goslings (who are 4 weeks old now) was put the brooder in the most enclosed, draft free corner of my coop, (which is 3/4 open air design), put some chicken wire up to prevent the older chicks from jumping into the brooder, and just ran a heat lamp out to it. They were 2/3 days old when i put them in there. They actually came off daytime heat at 1 week of age and off all heat at 2 weeks of age (they had 4 goslings to use as heater in the brooder with them so you may have to provide heat longer) it worked very well. I took no loses and the chicks are feathering out a little faster it seems. So outdoor brooder can be done, if they are protected from drafts and predators. I would keep them on heat until you see them avoiding the heated area, then stop heating during the day and see how they are at night as they may need more heat at night until they get some feathers.

Now that the weather is so warm, I would say go for it. But when the weather gets colder it would be a bad idea. Unless you have a traditional coop or an enclosed, draft free, heated outdoor brooder.

 

[chickieluver26]

What I did with my last batch of chicks and goslings was put the brooder in the most enclosed, draft free corner of my coop, put some chicken wire up to prevent the older chicks from jumping into the brooder, and just ran a heat lamp out to it. They actually came off daytime heat at 1 week of age and off all heat at 2 weeks of age (remember that they had 4 goslings to use as heater in the brooder with them) it worked very well. I took no loses and the chicks are feathering out a little faster it seems. So outdoor brooder can be done, if they are protected from drafts and predators. I would keep them on heat until you see them avoiding the heated area, then stop heating during the day and see how they are at night as they may need more heat at night until they get some feathers.

Ok thank you sounds like a plan

 

[Starfire669]

Ok thank you sounds like a plan

I edited my post as I forgot to mention a few details. Hope it helps. And good luck

 

[Starfire669]

I'd be interested if they were closer to processing age. Unfortunately, I live in the city and Roos are a no no... Looking forward to selling this place and getting in the country. My wife is a city girl through and through, but I'm slowly converting her

I would take them as soon as my 2nd coop was up and running, if my hubby hadn't put me on a month of poultry probation. Ken says I could have 50+ chickens in it and I have 27 now, and will go do to about 20 after I start culling my Roos. But I am on poultry probation and I don't have that coop going yet, so for now I have to be good and resist chicken math. But after that is all done and taken care off.....it's game on!

I know dual purpose birds take longer to reach a decent slaughter weight, you think adding some Cornish blood might improve the time to slaughter while retaining egg laying skills? I want to breed up my personal flocks meat and egg production, it's just for my family so I don't mind mongrel chickens as long as they get the job done.

 

[srosales1996]

Here is my new 7 gallon waterer. Seems to be working well. The only thing I was out of pocket was the water bowl at the base because I didn't have one small enough around already. Everything I had my little guys could drown in. Can't see it from the picture but there are aquarium rocks in the base until some get a little older. I didn't rig up a PVC fill spout because there is a water hose that I can easily drop through and fill it with outside the coop. I didn't want to take the chance of messing the seal up on my lid. I didn't have another good sealed one on hand.

 

[Starfire669]

Here is my new 7 gallon waterer. Seems to be working well. The only thing I was out of pocket was the water bowl at the base because I didn't have one small enough around already. Everything I had my little guys could drown in. Can't see it from the picture but there are aquarium rocks in the base until some get a little older. I didn't rig up a PVC fill spout because there is a water hose that I can easily drop through and fill it with outside the coop. I didn't want to take the chance of messing the seal up on my lid. I didn't have another good sealed one on hand.

Very nice! Did you cut the bottom off the bucket or just drill holes? Also, what did you use as the water bowl?

 

[SlipsWife]

I have a question. A month ago, I purchased 2 Female African goslings from a feed store that orders from hatchery. 1 is giving me a lot of gander signals and people on a goose thread have said he looks like a he in pics I posted as well. I already contacted the feedstore and they said that the hatchery guarantees their sexing and would make good on it. My question is, are they going to want Cream, my suspect gander back or will they just give me an extra female? It is a very hard decision as Peaches and Cream are both my sons pet geese. (let them have the Africans because they were suppose to be female and are more docile than Chinese). So if the hatchery takes Cream back my older son will be bereft of his pet goose Again (his first pet goose died from poisoning) and I really don't want to put him through that again. A male African is not an issue, I could have 1 African mini flock and 1 Chinese mini flock of geese. The issue is that I have more ganders than goose and we paid the extra for sexed females to try to balance it out. (having extra females would have been great but needed at least pairs or there will be problems next breeding season)

What are your thoughts, suggestions?

Usually they refund the difference between the price of a male and female.

 

[Starfire669]

Usually they refund the difference between the price of a male and female.

Well, not this feed store. I called and they want me to bring in my suspected male African gander to trade for a marked female they have on hand. So now the question is... Do I put my son through that? Also geese don't do well alone, 1 gosling alone would be so lonely until such time as it is big enough to introduce to the group of older goslings.

 

[showbarnmom]

Are your frizzled EE bantams ?

No, I have large fowl. I searched allllll over for a LF frizzle Cochin rooster to cover all my LF hens.

 

[Cassie Collins]

V

Darn silkies there not laying yet!!!!! There making me go crazy! I want to hatch silkies! my lav pair

Very pretty little fluff balls !