The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[slordaz]

Well your humor for the day is the drake wants to hatch chicken eggs as he doesn't have a female duck , built up a nest and was gonna brood and hatch when a friend gave him a couple as he was separated from the chickens to help with depression she said. She then decided that might not be such a good idea as we had young ducklings we had to get used to, when he became very protective.

 

[JulesChicks]

The best incubator

I wish I had her and my plan is to have broodies raise chicks in the future - one reason I am raising heritage breeds. My son really wants a Silkie too so hopefully I get some hens and they will help brood as well. I am hatching for the first time this week and boy is this styro-bator a pain! I may splurge for a Brinsea eventually but I still want some broodies to keep the flock going.

Wish I had a broody!!!!!!

Here are a couple photos of the new kids. All Swedish Flower Hens - though some may be cockerels!

Someone said they look like they've all been punched in the eye and have shiners

That platform is made of 2 clementine boxes turned upside down. Raises the water up from the shavings so it stays clean. Works for the food bowl too.




A 5-gallon paint stir stick roost.

Very nice setup. We're setting up the brooder today. It's a big plywood box that a new cabinet was shipped in - it even has wheels! My husband cut it down and we added a divider. Today we need to make space for it and get it ready for chicks. We use the mama-heating pad method for heat and mounted bicycle water bottles with chicken nipples for water. It will be much easier to attach the bottles to the wood instead of cardboard like last year. We have one SFH, we lost one about 6 weeks ago. I set the remaining one's eggs - they would have been a SFH/Marans cross -but they were all infertile.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@slordaz
Funny! I would have liked to see what he did if they hatched


@JulesChicks

Sounds like it will be nice! It is hard in some respects to work with the cardboard but it is nice to throw it out in the end

We have a bit of work to do in the barn before I can put these kids in there but they should have gone out a week ago otherwise. I'm going to use a heat pad brooder in the hen shed with meat birds this year. Have one all made up and ready to go...it's 24" long so it will be good for the 12 chicks at a time. My little Premier plate is in here with the egg chicks since there are less of them.

 

[JulesChicks]

I don't like using the heat lamp but I may need to if all 22 hatch, I don't think they will all fit under the heating pad. It's the extra large one. I may do both until I see how they are reacting.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm wondering how many people, who follow this thread, think heat lamps are bad. I often brood too many to fit under a heat plate. I do read some saying how terrible heat lamps are, but in my experience if used correctly they are just fine. I haven't noticed any behavioral problems from them as I read some people say, I find brooder size, too much heat, and not moving them out quickly to be more troubles. I've used heat lamps for over 20 years. Just curious what others think and do.

 

[bobbi-j]

I'm wondering how many people, who follow this thread, think heat lamps are bad. I often brood too many to fit under a heat plate. I do read some saying how terrible heat lamps are, but in my experience if used correctly they are just fine. I haven't noticed any behavioral problems from them as I read some people say, I find brooder size, too much heat, and not moving them out quickly to be more troubles. I've used heat lamps for over 20 years. Just curious what others think and do.

I just brooded 30 chicks under a heat lamp. They were in the brooder box for 2 1/2 weeks, and now have access to the full pen (about 6x8). In a couple of weeks, we'll build a panic door for them to start integrating with the hens. I still have the lamp out there as they are not fully feathered, and it's still getting cool at night. When it's warm and sunny I unplug the light, today when it was cool and rainy, the lamp got left plugged in. Heat lamps vs. heat plates are, in my opinion, just two different ways to brood chicks. I don't know that either is all right or all wrong - just like many other aspects of chicken keeping. Every different way has its pros and cons...

 

[slordaz]

Hatch started today on BR broody 7/24 hatched so far 1 died

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I just brooded 30 chicks under a heat lamp. They were in the brooder box for 2 1/2 weeks, and now have access to the full pen (about 6x8). In a couple of weeks, we'll build a panic door for them to start integrating with the hens. I still have the lamp out there as they are not fully feathered, and it's still getting cool at night. When it's warm and sunny I unplug the light, today when it was cool and rainy, the lamp got left plugged in. Heat lamps vs. heat plates are, in my opinion, just two different ways to brood chicks. I don't know that either is all right or all wrong - just like many other aspects of chicken keeping. Every different way has its pros and cons...

Thank you, my thoughts as well, I have just noticed a strong push towards heating pads and plates and was curious. I brood mine very similar to you. Of course I'm always very curious how everyone else does things, and enjoy learning new stuff. I haven't tried using a plate, though I was looking at them. I have a whole routine worked out that I trust with a heat lamp.

 

[slordaz]

I'm wondering how many people, who follow this thread, think heat lamps are bad. I often brood too many to fit under a heat plate. I do read some saying how terrible heat lamps are, but in my experience if used correctly they are just fine. I haven't noticed any behavioral problems from them as I read some people say, I find brooder size, too much heat, and not moving them out quickly to be more troubles. I've used heat lamps for over 20 years. Just curious what others think and do.

I never brood under a heat lamp just a 40 watt bulb and chicks don't think they should be under it for more than a week lol

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don't like using the heat lamp but I may need to if all 22 hatch, I don't think they will all fit under the heating pad. It's the extra large one. I may do both until I see how they are reacting.

Not sure but I think some people have fit that many or even 24, 25 under the pad some add a second smaller one though or connect too but a lot fit under there. Another thing people do is flatten it out like a heat plate rather than the cave design, that's how most of the people fit so many since more can fit that way