The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[MargaretYakoda]

Who was it that put fleece strips into holes drilled in a 5 gallon bucket and encouraged chicks to use it for warmth?


I really liked that idea, so I used some hardware cloth and three old shrunken wool sweaters and replicated the idea.
14 of my JG and barnyard mix chicks spent the night happily in that contraption, as warm as if they had been under a lamp. The chicks are in a brooder attached to the side of the big coop. They've got their own little yard to play in, and lots of FF to enjoy.
So far, so good.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Who was it that put fleece strips into holes drilled in a 5 gallon bucket and encouraged chicks to use it for warmth? I really liked that idea, so I used some hardware cloth and three old shrunken wool sweaters and replicated the idea. 14 of my JG and barnyard mix chicks spent the night happily in that contraption, as warm as if they had been under a lamp. The chicks are in a brooder attached to the side of the big coop. They've got their own little yard to play in, and lots of FF to enjoy. So far, so good.

Yes I remember that picture of the cosy bucket. I like your contraption too! What kind of chick is that little blackish one peeking out?

 

[subhanalah]

Who was it that put fleece strips into holes drilled in a 5 gallon bucket and encouraged chicks to use it for warmth? I really liked that idea, so I used some hardware cloth and three old shrunken wool sweaters and replicated the idea. 14 of my JG and barnyard mix chicks spent the night happily in that contraption, as warm as if they had been under a lamp. The chicks are in a brooder attached to the side of the big coop. They've got their own little yard to play in, and lots of FF to enjoy. So far, so good.

that was @Kassaundra wasn't it? Or was it Sally Sunshine? I'm always getting people mixed up.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Yes I remember that picture of the cosy bucket. I like your contraption too! What kind of chick is that little blackish one peeking out?

That's one of the Jersey Giants I hatched from the eggs I got from Chickielady! They look like penguins at this stage. Sooo cute! Their feet are HUGE too, which I'm thinking means the same thing that big puppy feet means.

 

[mlowen]

Who was it that put fleece strips into holes drilled in a 5 gallon bucket and encouraged chicks to use it for warmth?


I really liked that idea, so I used some hardware cloth and three old shrunken wool sweaters and replicated the idea.
14 of my JG and barnyard mix chicks spent the night happily in that contraption, as warm as if they had been under a lamp. The chicks are in a brooder attached to the side of the big coop. They've got their own little yard to play in, and lots of FF to enjoy.
So far, so good.

It was Kassaundra. Yours is really neat, too!

 

[Kassaundra]

Who was it that put fleece strips into holes drilled in a 5 gallon bucket and encouraged chicks to use it for warmth?


I really liked that idea, so I used some hardware cloth and three old shrunken wool sweaters and replicated the idea.
14 of my JG and barnyard mix chicks spent the night happily in that contraption, as warm as if they had been under a lamp. The chicks are in a brooder attached to the side of the big coop. They've got their own little yard to play in, and lots of FF to enjoy.
So far, so good.

Mine just love it, that and the feather duster, but I think my bucket may replace the feather duster if I can manage to make room in the brooder.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Kassaundra

Are you using a heat lamp in the brooder?

I just got the heat plate and I was trying to figure out how to combine something similar with the heat plate.

 

[Kassaundra]

@Kassaundra

Are you using a heat lamp in the brooder?

I just got the heat plate and I was trying to figure out how to combine something similar with the heat plate.

Only for the first week or so (inside). After that they stay pretty toasty warm in the feathers or fleece.

 

[Kassaundra]

Even Rudy's group I turned the light out at 2 weeks then outside in the garage w/ temps in the 40's overnight they did fine w/o heat at almost 3 weeks old no heat, just the buckets..

 

[RedRidge]

@RedRidge


We basically have our first breeding pen done.  It does not have the divider in to make it a double.  We were working with 8 ft wood so chose to make doubles instead of tripples or quad pens.  My question is about feed and calcium stations.  Do you have a few close up pictures of your breeding pen layouts showing the feeder and calcium locations? 

I was thinking of using a PVC home made feeder like this one.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704443/diy-chicken-feeder-pipe/240#post_11031232

I'm thinking we will be using dog water dishes for the winter to keep the water from freezing but that really does not help with frost bite.

Way behind and noticed the tag in this post. Will get more details the gutsy of next week. Recovering from surgery and not too mobile yet