TanksHill...Roll on!!

[TanksHill]

Oh, let me count the ways.....

 

[patandchickens]

Lori, you say to wean them off the light when the night time temps are warmer. What would that be? I can't imagine at that time of the year it being under 60 in the house. Daytime highs might be some where in the high 60 to 70's. I am hoping this means they will be inside for less time??? Or is it more an age thing???

See that's the GREAT thing about chicks -- they take care of it themselves as long as you give them a choice of temperatures.

If you see them spending all their time away from the lamp, that is a Clue that they don't need as much heat and you can swithc to a lower wattage.

With a lower wattage, if they are still never congregating near the lamp, that pretty much tells you they no longer need the heat.

So you don't have to follow any system or written directions at all, just do what the peeps tell ya

Speaking of ear, Do they peep all night??

For a while they will. After the first week or two they tend to get quieter on average. Except that they WILL wake up at various times during the night and have raucous running-around-and-peeping-for-no-reason sessions, and if their waterer or feeder ever gets low or nonfunctional they WILL let you know about it.

You'll like 'em -- they're tasty, and like all chicks they are *easy*. Really. I was all worried about the complications and fragility of chicks the first time I got 'em too, but they're not, they are very robust and self-regulating little buggers as long as you just provide the necessities.

Pat

 

[Farmfresh]

I also notice that the more comfortable they feel with temperature, food etc the gentler the peeping is. When they are un happy they are loud.

 

[colowyo0809]

Yay! I brought home five on Saturday when I picked up the feed They are in the brooder with the hamburgs
We can raise them together! sorta

 

[lorihadams]

Its not that complicated really....I have them in an old truck bed with a lattice roof. I put the lamp in one end and the food and water in the other. I'll find out what page my pics are on in my journal.

I have also done them in a baby pool with hardwire cloth around it too. Just put the lamp in a place where they can go to it if they need the heat and get away from it when they don't. I started with a 100w bulb 24-7 and then at about 2-3 weeks old I switched it to a 60w bulb only at night and then in about another week I took the light away completely.

I start with a thin layer of wood shavings and just sprinkle more on top every day until they are ready to go outside on grass in a tractor. Oh, and I sprinkle grass on their food from day one so they know to eat it....sometimes they are just that dumb.

I have only ever done mine in the fall when the temps are cooler but hubby called me this morning and wanted to know if I was up for doing more meaties this spring....all the guys at work are asking for them. I told him only if I could get 25+ definite paid preorders.

I had a broody hen raise 13 indian runner ducks for me so anything is possible!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Poor CX's get a bad rap! Mine have always been great at free ranging. I usually have them in the barn until week 3-4, and then they go out full time. They're running after bugs right up until the day they go in the freezer.

I told DH I wasn't going to raise any this year if I had to do all the work myself, hoping he'd say, "I'll help you." All he said was, "ok." :/ I'm not sure I want to skip raising them again this year, but I *really* don't want to do all the work myself. Really it's just the processing that I find the most time consuming. Maybe we'll set aside some tax return money to just pay to get them done. It's totally worth it to me. We've always done our own, and I find it to be pretty time consuming, because we usually do 25-50 all at once.

 

[lorihadams]

My first batch was pretty good but my second batch had some real winners in it....I had one with a leg that resembled a kick stand on a bike. He was CREEPY.

Once they realized that they could eat it then they did well with the free ranging in the tractor. I fed mine on the ground and that encouraged them to scratch around too....bigger legs!

I had some that wanted to camp out in the food bowl so I just started spreading it in a long line on the ground. It worked great since we moved them to fresh grass every day.

They really weren't that bad.

 

[Farmfresh]

Once they realized that they could eat it then they did well with the free ranging in the tractor. I fed mine on the ground and that encouraged them to scratch around too....bigger legs!

I did that quite a bit at first too. It is kind of like chumming sharks.

At first they stand in the grass and don't recognize it as food. Then when you spread out a little feed or grain for them they get started in a feeding frenzy... devouring the grain, the grass ... EVERYTHING IN THEIR PATHS!! Finally they understand the green stuff is edible and you are off to great pastured poultry!

 

[TanksHill]

I don't really have any issues with them once they are in the field. It's the before and after I am going to be worried about.

My dh asked what the light was for last night. I told him that the chicks would need it while they were in the house. Not sure he took that to well. I still need something to put them in. I was thinking big Rubbermaid. But now I might ask dh to build a wood brooder box of some kind. Maybe for the countertop, or table top. I am thinking 12 inches deep. Maybe 2 x 4 feet. That way I can put the light at one end and a wire top on it. Hinge's etc... How much space to 25 fat chicks need? They wont be in the house for more than two weeks. I know the weather will be great by then.

I would love to use my tractor wagon, like the one Lori built. But the only place to keep it would be the garage. It's never over 60 down there under the house. I think that might be too cold. Besides we use it all the time for yard work.

When processing comes I think my kids will be more apt to help than dh. DS will be right in there with me. Dh will probably invite a buddy over to drink beer and watch. He is very squamish.

Well I am trying to get some chores done today.

I'll be back.

g

 

[lorihadams]

We processed ours in freezing weather...lower 30s. 60 degree temps will be fine!

We did our first 30 in a baby pool...super easy, just hose it out when you are done. These birds are 2 weeks old here.