[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi all,

any advice on this one? As a result of loosing an argument with one of my hens and the encouragement of a "friend". I have been daft enough to let my serial broody hatch some chicks ( kept saying it was far too late in the year) The plan was to let her have them and let nature take its course. I was going to stand back and prove the point that chicks hatched that late dont survive.

I wont bore you with the details but to cut to the chase she is now in the porch with a lamp and two chicks born 3rd Nov and showing no signs of wanting to go out. I open the door each day and entice them out into the sunshine but the chicks take some persuading and quickly hop back in.

OH is worried that the frost will kill them although I have moved their coop into the open barn and have accessed a power source so they can have extra daylight.

What I want to know is when can they go out? and is there anything that I need to be doing with them if they are going to be stuck indoors smelling out my porch!

What an idiot!

Buffy

[OhLaLa]

Is mum still letting them sleep/warm up under her as and when?

Not quite sure I have understood the setup, but (if I've got it right) this is what I would do:

Henhouse (coop with roof?) in open barn so is under cover and out of draughts/rain, with secure run around. Feed/water inside run. Don't make run too large (to prevent mum wandering off and leading them out into the cold as they should still be following her). Use haybales if necessary as windbreaks.

Largeish, sturdy cardboard box on it's side in henhouse with haybed inside. This should act as a good insulator to help keep them cosy at night.

Do they need the heatlamp? Mum should have been keeping them warm.

Let me know if I've confused.

*If the chicks are hopping back in to be under the heatlamp, they are finding it too cold to go out and need the heat. Lamps are usually used when hatched without hen and are raised gradually to harden the chicks off.

[shrekfeet]

What do you think happens in nature Buffy? The mother hen keeps the chicks warm all the time. They also have feathers which anyone sleeping under a duvet will know are great insulators!

There is no reason for you to provide heat unless they are without a mum. Just leave them to it. We often have chicks hatch at this time of year and although slow to grow they manage just fine

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi guys,

   sorry for the confusion. The lamp is in responce to a fellow forumer who advised that they would need extra daylight as the short days wouldnt allow them sufficient time to eat enough to survive the long night. at the time i didnt have the means to set up lighting in their coop so they were installed in the dog crate with a card board box and put in an unheated porch.

the coop and run combo that they hatched in which has a roof and plastic sheeting attached to the netting to form a wind break has now been placed in the open barn and has enough coop space to house the food and water inside. The coop and run is on a concrete floor which is covered in straw. The barn gets the sun in the morning and is in shade in the afternoon. If they dont need the lighting I can put the coop back in its usuall place allong side the others. Its only moved to the barn for the power supply.

What do yo advise? they are back in the porch now having a nap but I;m happy to get them back in there old home asap

Buffy

the broody is still keeping them warm and since my posting has taken them out for a potter round the orchard and a dust bath. (well she had a dust bath and the kids had a tug of war with a very large worm.) They

[shrekfeet]

Just leave them to it. There is plenty of shelter around the place and mum will keep them warm. Put them in with the others if you like or just enjoy them wandering around the garden. They will make the porch their home though if you are not careful.