The Old Folks Home

[tntchix]

So can I take down the tarps and unplug heated waterers yet? We are just at freezing at night now and we made it to almost 50 yesterday. I have had it with winter cold. When do you start opening things back up for spring?

 

[vehve]

Tnt, I'd say you're pretty safe when the mean temperature has been above freezing for a week or two. Unless your area is prone to have late snow storms or something.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

bless you

So can I take down the tarps and unplug heated waterers yet? We are just at freezing at night now and we made it to almost 50 yesterday. I have had it with winter cold. When do you start opening things back up for spring?

You're a lot colder than I am. It only got below zero a couple times this year. Last was brutal but even then, I didn't put plastic or tarps on anything.
Wide open coops.











I'd just unplug the heated waters and leave them around incase it dips down there later. But I'd lose the tarps.

 

[tntchix]

Thanks gang! I would love for them to get more sun back in the coop again.

Those tarps made it dang dark in there, but they never stopped laying but one day (bllizzard)

 

[drumstick diva]

Supposed to be 60 on Monday

 

[dsqard]

whispering quietly to the peeps on TOFH thread so maybe SCG won't hear this
It's supposed to be 64 on Saturday and 69 on Sunday here. SSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

[tntchix]

quiet as a churchmouse

 

[Beer can]

The premier plates are rated down to 32. The thinking is that they only go that low because the water in the brooder will freeze and  the chicks will have trouble drinking. Do people brood chicks outside in the winter? I use the garage and of course I live in the Sacramento Valley of California...It rarely goes below 32 in the winter.

Woman I'm getting cemani crosses from here in upstate ny brooded some of hers outside, lost a bunch of cream legbars when her heatlamp blew. Someone mentioned those ceramic ones and said they don't blow?
She lost a lot of her flock chickens and ducks, to a weasel about a month ago, every rooster but one, the last one managed to kill it but was tore up bad. Wasn't her best rooster but she nursed him back to health being he was a 'hero' and saved what was left. Luckily her cemanis and crosses were in her workshop. I personally do not want to brood young chicks in the winter cause I would keep them in the house.

 

[ronott1]

Woman I'm getting cemani crosses from here in upstate ny brooded some of hers outside, lost a bunch of cream legbars when her heatlamp blew. Someone mentioned those ceramic ones and said they don't blow?
She lost a lot of her flock chickens and ducks, to a weasel about a month ago, every rooster but one, the last one managed to kill it but was tore up bad. Wasn't her best rooster but she nursed him back to health being he was a 'hero' and saved what was left. Luckily her cemanis and crosses were in her workshop. I personally do not want to brood young chicks in the winter cause I would keep them in the house.

That is so sad!

I hope she can get some chicks going again.

 

[chickadoodles]

Thanks CC
Originally Posted by chickadoodles /t/693812/the-old-folks-home/37170/t/693812/the-old-folks-home/37170
What kind of light bulb are y'all using in your brooders? These red 250 watt are to hot for my totes and all the others I keep buying are not putting off hardly any heat or I have to pay 8.00 per bulb? This is insane!
In a tote, you don't need a heat lamp. If I just have a couple chicks and use a tote. I use a regular incandescent lamp in a drop light laying in the tote.
You can cover the lamp with aluminum foil to cut out the light.
A 250 watt heat lamp is way overkill. Hanging it high over the tote will just waste most of the heat into the room.
I agree CC but the new light bulbs don't put off any heat and then the chicks cry.
I had to put the heat lamp bulb back in for the turkey poults till I get something else.
They are so tender they will die from not being warm enough.
The ducks and chicks seem to be ok with the 60 watt bulbs.
　
Originally Posted by chickadoodles /t/693812/the-old-folks-home/37190/t/693812/the-old-folks-home/37190

I might have to we have turned one of our spare rooms into a brooder room for now. I want them out ASAP. I hate the dust.
I hate the dust even if it's in the basement.
If I brooded them in the house, the dust wouldn't have a chance to kill me, my wife would.
I'm still redesigning 3 coops so have to keep chicks in the basement temporarily cause I'm out of space outside.
There are 4 chicks down there and I can't even smell them when I'm next to them. This morning my wife asked if there were chicks down there cause she could smell them (on the middle floor).
I said, "that's quite a nose you have on you - and it works good too."
We have two sheds and a lean two but they are so full that there is no room for brooders. I will have to make a temp. fenced yard with some shelter to grow some turkey out this year.
My cross is coming out nicely and I want to raise some up and breed them for a XL turkey.