The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Shellz]

Good morning all.....need coffee!

 

[Wisher1000]

I'll drink to that! (Coffee, that is!)

 

[luvmyEs]

Wow Sally, great pics! Awww, so cute! Hmmm...silkies sure are popular. Do they do well in a mixed, standard flock?

Mine do. I never thought about separating them. Also when they have chicks, they have no problem fighting the big girls who are too close to the babies.

 

[michaelf]

I have some 9 week old birds I want to put in their pen and take out of brooder. The question I have is , do I need a heat source for them? Its getting down in the 30s and 40s at night here still. They are getting to big for brooder. I do not want them to start picking on each other because of space and I need the room here soon for more that will hatch this Wednesday and Thursday. The biddies will stay inside for a couple of weeks till feather start. So I have time to clean and disinfect . Thanks

 

[Shellz]

I'm thinking of a separate coop & pen, if I get some. My property can get pretty wet sometimes, being on a high water table. My clean-legged flock have no problems with it, of course, but the little silkies would get mighty wet & dirty in a hurry! Would silkies be ok with other breed bantams? I never thought I wanted any bantams, but saw a Mille fleur D'uccles rooster at a farm & fell in love with him! Lol! Cute as heck! Don't have any bantams yet, just starting to plan.

 

[tadpole98]

LOL Tad! you know your addicted when....... he he he

Dh is on my case about my feed bill, so I am selling my chicks, someone is coming for more cochins tomorrow and all I got from him was "the cute fluffy ones!" spoken with dismay!
For petes sakes man suck it up! LOL

My parents would be complaining about that if I didnt keep up with the feed bill. feed bill every month is $50 we always sell 25 doz at 3.00 per, which means we keep up with their feed bill and such, and I can keep them

 

[Wisher1000]

I have some 9 week old birds I want to put in their pen and take out of brooder. The question I have is , do I need a heat source for them? Its getting down in the 30s and 40s at night here still. They are getting to big for brooder. I do not want them to start picking on each other because of space and I need the room here soon for more that will hatch this Wednesday and Thursday. The biddies will stay inside for a couple of weeks till feather start. So I have time to clean and disinfect . Thanks

Mic - Nine week old birds should be feathered out enough to stand those temps as long as they have a draft free place to go to and each other to snuggle up with. The problem is the sudden change in temp. If they were mine, I would put them in their pen with an enclosed space they can get in and out of at will. I use a large cardboard box inside the coop. In there, I would put a light in one corner (not too close to the bedding or the side walls) and use a bulb that would heat the area, but not too much. In a week, change to a smaller watt bulb, and again the next week until they are used to the chill. Truthfully though, they would probably would do okay in a smaller box without the light.

 

[Nike]

I have some 9 week old birds I want to put in their pen and take out of brooder. The question I have is , do I need a heat source for them? Its getting down in the 30s and 40s at night here still. They are getting to big for brooder. I do not want them to start picking on each other because of space and I need the room here soon for more that will hatch this Wednesday and Thursday. The biddies will stay inside for a couple of weeks till feather start. So I have time to clean and disinfect . Thanks

If you lower the temp by 5 degrees each week, they'd only need it at 50 degrees when they're nine weeks old. Personally, I think they'll be fine. They will huddle together at night and just make sure you put lots of hay in there. Plus, if you want, I used to just turn the heat lamp on at nights sometimes.

 

[Nike]

Mic - Nine week old birds should be feathered out enough to stand those temps as long as they have a draft free place to go to and each other to snuggle up with. The problem is the sudden change in temp. If they were mine, I would put them in their pen with an enclosed space they can get in and out of at will. I use a large cardboard box inside the coop. In there, I would put a light in one corner (not too close to the bedding or the side walls) and use a bulb that would heat the area, but not too much. In a week, change to a smaller watt bulb, and again the next week until they are used to the chill. Truthfully though, they would probably would do okay in a smaller box without the light.

Oh that is a good idea, I never heard of that before!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have some 9 week old birds I want to put in their pen and take out of brooder. The question I have is , do I need a heat source for them? Its getting down in the 30s and 40s at night here still. They are getting to big for brooder. I do not want them to start picking on each other because of space and I need the room here soon for more that will hatch this Wednesday and Thursday. The biddies will stay inside for a couple of weeks till feather start. So I have time to clean and disinfect . Thanks

They should have been weaned from the heat by now but I would put a heat lamp in there for about a week because that's too drastic of a temp change even for an adult bird.
They can handle cold but not abruptly without acclimating. If they have lots of space to wean themselves chicks can handle cold pretty early.



My chicks go outside as soon as they come out of the hatcher. I give them a couple heat lamps and it's amazing how seldom they're under it after the first couple weeks.