Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Chicken Rustler]

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[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: Or ya could come down here for a visit and I would find a home. Also may have some BCM for the little guy to choose his black from. Don't have a fancy place but always like to have visitors.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

It is so cold here during the day I put a brooder lamp out for my 12yo dog to stay toasty. He has arthritis and cold is hard on him. And he hates being inside. It has not been above freezing here in 10 days. Brrrrrr

Our last dog was an outside Aussie. He rarely wanted in the house. So in winter I put a red brooder lamp above his bed on the front porch. l set it to come on in eve and off in day.

 

[FirewifeJess]

Well guys I don't think my dumb Lucy is gonna cooperate with my relocating her to the hutch. I set the lamp above it about 3.5', it was plenty far away that it wouldn't be hot for her especially considering the below freezing temps these days/nights, and close enough for her to benefit from the heat. BUT, when I brought her and the eggs to the hutch she wandered around a bit in the red glow of the lamp and jumped out the top of the hutch, grabbed a snack at the feeder and wandered around looking for water which I'd brought in the house but brought back out for her, then went back to the coop. She looked in both nest boxes in the coop for her eggs so I nabbed her again and put her in the hutch. I kept shining the light on the eggs and trying to show them to her but she hopped right back out again, super confused. I finally had to shut the door and the lid to the hutch and lock her in there! NO idea what to expect in the morning but she was scratching around and finally settled down but probably not on the eggs. The lamp is still on and somewhat shining on the cloth covered wire side of the hutch (not too close to catch fire, don't worry) and she's just locked in there. I'll let her out in the morning if she wants out. Crazy chicken!

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

I'm a little worried about one of the Cochins. Whenever I check on them, she's always sleeping, almost always alone, under the heat lamp. And when I stick my hands in there and talk to them, she continues sleeping, while the others take off running. Even when I pick her up, she opens her eyes for a second, and then goes back to sleep. She did just drink a bunch of water. I don't know when the last time she ate was, but they have medicated chick starter avalible to them at all times. The only reason I'm worried is because last time I had a chick like this, it died 5 days after I got it. Here she is, about 15 minutes ago:

I really don't want to loose her as she is the sweetest of the chicks so far, and the most people friendly, vs. Klondike and his accomplice.

Quote: You can get Pedialite and vitamin E, mix 2 capsules of vitamin E into the Pedialite and give 2 drops in the mouth 2 times a day. This is also a good treatment for wry neck. Our little Partridge Silkie was lethargic and had wry neck, I did this treatment for a week and now she is normal.

Quote: I have had it on 24hrs a day since we have not been above 30 here and you can see the 2.5gal waterer be the tractor wheel, it is leeping that from freezing. He has been very happy with the light outside, since he hates being inside. But his arthritis is bad enough he will come into his crate when he aches from the cold. He loves being able to patrol at night, I like him doing that too. Keeps the monster coons away.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Well guys I don't think my dumb Lucy is gonna cooperate with my relocating her to the hutch. I set the lamp above it about 3.5', it was plenty far away that it wouldn't be hot for her especially considering the below freezing temps these days/nights, and close enough for her to benefit from the heat. BUT, when I brought her and the eggs to the hutch she wandered around a bit in the red glow of the lamp and jumped out the top of the hutch, grabbed a snack at the feeder and wandered around looking for water which I'd brought in the house but brought back out for her, then went back to the coop. She looked in both nest boxes in the coop for her eggs so I nabbed her again and put her in the hutch. I kept shining the light on the eggs and trying to show them to her but she hopped right back out again, super confused. I finally had to shut the door and the lid to the hutch and lock her in there! NO idea what to expect in the morning but she was scratching around and finally settled down but probably not on the eggs. The lamp is still on and somewhat shining on the cloth covered wire side of the hutch (not too close to catch fire, don't worry) and she's just locked in there. I'll let her out in the morning if she wants out. Crazy chicken!

It was because she could see, the key is darkness. If she is not on the eggs in the morning, put her back in the origional nest box for the day and try again tomorrow night without the lamp. Once she accepts the nest site you can add the lamp in a couple of days(it won't kill her, I promise).

 

[FirewifeJess]

Oh ok, maybe I should go turn off the lamp now? I totally know she'll be fine, I just feel like it would be better for her in the long run if she had some heat during this long stint of sitting. But it doesn't have to be tonight.

 

[FirewifeJess]

So I turned off the lamp for the night and left her locked in there. I'll take the door off first thing in the morning and see where she goes after taking her little break. If she goes back to the coop I'll try again in the dark tomorrow night. Thanks Travis!

Oh...if this doesn't work with moving her, I think I'll just wait 3 weeks and buy a chick or 2 from the store and plop them under her as it's getting dark one night and see what happens. I don't want to fuss with this any more LOL I can wait for one of the other girls to decide to be broody in the hutch, since that's available full time for egg laying and at least half of them love it in there.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Do you have any chick saver or nutri-drench? Even sugar water - a teaspoon in an ounce or two of water - will help boost her energy level up to where she can eat and drink properly. Do it soon - she does not look good to me.

A little dab of honey tends to help also.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

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It's OK ya don't gotta be from WA to come hang on the BEST STATE THREAD. We welcome all.