Washingtonians

[ErinMartin927]

The air temp in their brooder is what you want to heat. I really like to use rabbit cages for brooding small numbers of chicks...the kind with the plastic bottoms and wire tops, gives them plenty of ventilation & the wire tops allow me to attach the heat lamp at different levels, depending on what the chicks need...

Interesting - I don't have a rabbit cage, but I do have an older bird cage that might work. I may search craigs list for some freebies too... or can I construct a brooding box of some sort?

 

[RaZ]

I don't either. I look at it this way...a hen has a predetermined number of eggs that she can lay in her lifetime...if I force her to lay by providing artificial light, then yes she will lay great for me for a few years, but then she's done. Where if I let her do what she will do naturally, she may lay fewer eggs per year, but she will lay later in her life for me, and if I have some exceptional birds in my breeding pen, that means I can get more offspring from those birds, since I don't hatch during this later time of year anyway... sorry for the ramble. LOL

Every bit of documented scientific research that I could find was based on production hens. Those hens that were bred to start laying at 20 weeks and reach the end of their lives at 18 months. Not quite what a lot of us backyard chicken keepers are interested in.
Again, I'll say that different breeds lay according to their biology more so than light. There are a lot of factors to keep in mind if you want year-round egg production or let let things occur naturally.

We're setting it up just like how they're kept at the store we're purchasing them from (The Garden Sphere in Tacoma) - an aquarium with topper (chicken wire on a frame, HAHA), a heat lamp, and food/water feeders over newspaper. Does that sound about right? I'm designing a coop to build at the moment...

Personally, I would not keep chicks in an aquarium. There is no air circulation or room for them to move into warm or cool areas in a fish tank. There are better ways to brood chicks, IMO.
I wish you luck with your new flock and welcome to the world of chicken madness.

 

[ErinMartin927]

...I'm thinking I may ask to pick up my birdies on Monday now instead, just to make sure I have everything here set up just the way it needs to be... I'm feeling under-prepared now!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote: Yeah, a lot of people make their own. I bought a big one that someone made out of wood & 1/2" welded wire. There are some things I would do differently, but it works fine. Just remember lots of ventilation, and if you're going to go to the trouble of building one anyway, make it big enough that the chicks will have room to stay in it for however long you might need them to, depending on the weather...

 

[FirewifeJess]

Quote:
IN all honesty you don't need more than a very large cardboard box to brood chicks in. Don't spend your money if you don't have to. You could even use a spare bathtub (with a glass door surround...don't think a shower curtain would contain them for long) filled with pine shavings, feeder/waterer, and a lamp hanging from the shower head.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: OK here is where I must also give my little pitch. For your heat lamp PLEASE buy a light fixture that has a PORCELAIN base NOT PLASTIC ! ! ! ! See the plastic ones are not made to take the high temps and WILL melt over time possibly causing FIRE.Make sure that the light fixture has a label attached that says it is rated for the size bulb you will use (probably 250watt).

 

[Justahannah]

It was very cool to meet everyone today (I especially fell for Quincy, I've always loved Aussies ! I was a late arrival (didn't even get in on the chicken bidding!) and had to run quick, but it was awesome to put some faces to some names, see what the auction scene was all about, and it just makes me want to plan better for next time

 

[Chicken Rustler]

It was very cool to meet everyone today (I especially fell for Quincy, I've always loved Aussies ! I was a late arrival (didn't even get in on the chicken bidding!) and had to run quick, but it was awesome to put some faces to some names, see what the auction scene was all about, and it just makes me want to plan better for next time

Well ya know I am part Aussie too AND up for adoption.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Geeeez I wonder when JB is gonna post them pics on here or was her camera broke by the looks of the one in the hat ???

 

[T Hi]

Yes!!! Some of those pics should turn out pretty cute!!