Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[Apyl]

good evening, Annie is gone to work, so I have the whole house to myself . I am all TV'd out already..

Zeke, my chicken culler is a male Maremme

this is Dora,, she is about 27 inches tall and just under 80 pounds in this picture.. this was teken a year ago..

. the male is just 7 months old and is about 75 pounds..
I don't have a recent picture of him.. I will try to get one of them together..

I love you dogs ! I wish we had the room for a big fluffy dog again. As a kid I had a Black Lab/ Husky mix that was about 80 pounds and solid black.

 

[chikenscratch]

Ooh cold morning to you all. I'm thinking of a warm morning with birds singing, warm sun, grass/vegetables/flowers growing!

Culling within the next few days and getting the coop ready for the chicks that some really AWESOME people are holding/hatching for me I can't wait for the weather to cooperate, I've gotta move on.

In your (collective) opinion, if I put a heat lamp in my coop and keep the pop door shut, provide food/water, etcetera could I put the chicks outside? I am concerned that I won't be able to regulate the heat outdoors as I was able to do indoors. I am not bringing them into the house ever again, but I have plenty of space in the garage to set them up.
Our set up previously allowed me to raise the heat lamp which reduced the heat on the chicks. The set up in the coop wouldn't allow me to control heat except by opening the windows. Thanks ahead of time for any advice given.

 

[jvls1942]

Ooh cold morning to you all. I'm thinking of a warm morning with birds singing, warm sun, grass/vegetables/flowers growing!

Culling within the next few days and getting the coop ready for the chicks that some really AWESOME people are holding/hatching for me I can't wait for the weather to cooperate, I've gotta move on.

In your (collective) opinion, if I put a heat lamp in my coop and keep the pop door shut, provide food/water, etcetera could I put the chicks outside? I am concerned that I won't be able to regulate the heat outdoors as I was able to do indoors. I am not bringing them into the house ever again, but I have plenty of space in the garage to set them up.
Our set up previously allowed me to raise the heat lamp which reduced the heat on the chicks. The set up in the coop wouldn't allow me to control heat except by opening the windows. Thanks ahead of time for any advice given.

by outdoors I am assuming you mean in the coop ? under a roof with 4 walls ?

You can raise chicks in those conditions....

If you cannot heat the whole coop, partition off a small area and heat just that much.. you just must make sure that the chicks can get away from the heat to cool off.. they will automatically select their most comfortable spot..

I do not encourage the use of heat lamps.. but if you are really careful, you will not burn your building down..

 

[RBerryChicks]

Couldn't resist posting this!

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! Yeah, it's like TEN out there! BBRRRR--I have to head out real soon so I can meet MXM for coffee today.

THen we are heading to Menards. Kids come at 1:30 I think...dog class tonight! Sure am glad I hit the hay early last night!

by outdoors I am assuming you mean in the coop ? under a roof with 4 walls ?

You can raise chicks in those conditions....

If you cannot heat the whole coop, partition off a small area and heat just that much.. you just must make sure that the chicks can get away from the heat to cool off.. they will automatically select their most comfortable spot..

I do not encourage the use of heat lamps.. but if you are really careful, you will not burn your building down..

Yeah...some people are really careful and still succeed at doing just that! The first year we were on this farm I brooded chicks outside. A couple of pea chicks and some others. I made a little room of straw bales in the big empty building; (2 balesx1bale) And covered it with one of those pink sheets of styro insulation. Put a broomstick across the bales at one end for the heat lamp to hang on. It easily was 90-100 degrees under that lamp. I cringe to think of doing that now...I would at least have metal sheeting between the light and the straw...and a rope from the rafters just in case the light came loose some way...I didnt burn anything down but I consider it beginner's luck and wouldnt try it now! Although, the building IS insured now....and 25 years older...hmmmm.......

Loved the kitty and caption! There have been some really funny ones over on FB lately! Oh gee...the time has gotten away from me again...WHY and HOW does that always seem to happen when talking/reading about chickens!
Hey Cind...maybe we can do some trading during the noodle run? That little Tom is tempting for sure! Need any Turken babies? LOL!
Talk later! TerriOontochoresthencoffeetime

ETA: Hey Zeke--I appreciated your "humor" LOL!

 

[delisha]

Ooh cold morning to you all. I'm thinking of a warm morning with birds singing, warm sun, grass/vegetables/flowers growing!

Culling within the next few days and getting the coop ready for the chicks that some really AWESOME people are holding/hatching for me I can't wait for the weather to cooperate, I've gotta move on.

In your (collective) opinion, if I put a heat lamp in my coop and keep the pop door shut, provide food/water, etcetera could I put the chicks outside? I am concerned that I won't be able to regulate the heat outdoors as I was able to do indoors. I am not bringing them into the house ever again, but I have plenty of space in the garage to set them up.
Our set up previously allowed me to raise the heat lamp which reduced the heat on the chicks. The set up in the coop wouldn't allow me to control heat except by opening the windows. Thanks ahead of time for any advice given.

1. Make sure it is as safe as you can make the heat lamp. Use zip ties on the cord, the reflector, and the handle/clamp.
2. I have found that a cardboard box tipped over on its side works pretty good. I fill the box with shavings so they can nestle in it.
3. I aim the light into the box, far enough away that the box part is only warmed. I try to get the bedding warmed the most by the aimed light.
4. I use a thermometer to regulate first and try to keep the interior box temp 75-85. In this weather you might need a pretty small box at first and graduate to a larger and larger box as the chicks grow.
5. As long as the chicks can get out of the box and away from the heat lamp they will be fine till they feather out. By than you will need to crack some windows and start cooling off. In 4 weeks hopefully our weather will actually be nice and not freezing.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Here is a website for some swaps, too.

http://www.triplespringacres.com/birdswapsandauctions.htm

Thanks...I am going to go to the one in Shawano.

 

[NDchickens]

Anybody have Mother Nature's address? I'd like to send her a calendar. -10 this morning and it's March 21st! COME ON!

 

[peacock 05]

A
Spring is hear so c'mon already!!!!!!!

 

[flocksalot]

Hi All! Too much for my tired little head to go through tonight. Happy B-day BBP! Loved the Kitten "hot chicks" pic. Those devilled eggs looked cute! JJ.... One of my turkey hens seems to have morphed into a young Tom! Today the black chest feathers popped through! This is the one the Tom in that pen kept giving the "back massages" too. Now I think it may have been a way to keep it submissive. Soooo..... anyone want a young Midget White Tom? I'm will to trade for something! That's it I guess.... night all!

How old is the midget? Even hens get beards. Some of my midget hens have beards about two inches long. They are thin though. Not thick like a toms. Our juvie toms are just starting to get their beards. They were hatched just before Xmas. If you can post a photo I could confirm Tom or hen.