The Quack Shack

[Miss Lydia]

So funny! I tell ya my hens can dig hole that look like they are digging their own graves they are so deep, now I need a kitty to lay in them. lol

 

[Trimurtisan]

Okay, the heat cave is working great, but not how I originally thought it would.

Here's the original thought process.

Heat source is a seed starter pad.

The "cave walls" is from an old baby gate I repurposed. I ended up shorting it by 1 row on both sides.

The original idea was to wrap the pad in a pillow case, then around the frame.

You can see in the picture, the chicks did go in there, but the heat was not collecting in the cave. The heat was just dissipating from the top, as it was designed to do.

So I actually buried the mat under the shavings, and placed the frame on top. It's been working grat after that! It's not hot in there but noticable warmer than the rest of the brooder.

Over all I really like it. Not having a light on constantly or having to worry about it exploding is a major relief. Plus the chicks get more of a natural light/dark cycle. It's also seems to have cut down on the constant chirping overt night, which as you folks know can be very loud.

 

[Trimurtisan]

You can see in the picture, the chicks did go in there

Guess you can't lol... Oops! Wrong picture.
This is after burying the pad.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's awesome. If I ever do ducklings or chicks again. lol I have a nice heating pad I may use instead of the Heat cave I bought. Which the ducklings laid on top of more than under. lol How many total did you get to hatch?

 

[Trimurtisan]

That's awesome. If I ever do ducklings or chicks again. lol I have a nice heating pad I may use instead of the Heat cave I bought. Which the ducklings laid on top of more than under. lol How many total did you get to hatch?

Only 3, but I also put the 2 EE I bought in with them.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I watch the video the other day I was talking about sexing chicks using the feather pattern on their wing. 2 well defined rows bing female, while, & if the feathers are not in well defined rows or singular is a male.
Is anybody familiar with that?

 

[rjohns39]

I know a LOT of folks who swear by it, but I haven't bought in. I think it's 50/50 at best. Well at least for me and my eyes anyway.

 

[Trimurtisan]

I know a LOT of folks who swear by it, but I haven't bought in. I think it's 50/50 at best. Well at least for me and my eyes anyway.

That's kind of what I thought. Good old wives tales, sometimes they're hard not to buy into.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I do noticed my pullets start feathering in their wings feathers before the cockerels do though. Around 2 days I can see it.

 

[rjohns39]

Chris, I'm not saying it doesn't work, I'm just saying it doesn't work for me. The last guy who picked up birds here was showing me the differences that he saw, my problem is I didn't see any differences.