Author Topic: keeping new chicks warm (Read 4802 times)

mrs tweedy · « **on:** February 23, 2015, 01:19:51 am »

It seems a waste to run the heat lamp for just a couple of chicks when the house is so warm. Will my chicks be ok in a cat basket by the log burner? Has anyone else tried this?

chrismahon · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2015, 06:17:23 am »

They might be Mrs Tweedy? Two factors here to consider. One is adequate temperature and the other is carbon monoxide poisoning. Even if we only had two I'd have them under a heat lamp in another room. It is more economical to hatch and rear in larger batches as you suggest.

nimbusllama · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2015, 08:08:35 am »

I have in the past brooded small numbers under an ordinary light bulb in a cardboard box in the house. However I am not sure if this would work with modern energy saving bulbs. I simply taped down one top flap of the box and fitted a lamp fitting through a hole in this flap. The other half of the box had a wire grid above it and the food and water was in this side. I have reared at least 2 broods successfully .... one of quail and one of bantams. Good luck with them, any questions come back to me.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2015, 09:41:57 am »

My concern would be the lack of consistency with the temperature. Put on more logs, they flare up, then die down at night. I certainly wouldn't want to be a cat's basket length away from ours when it's just been fuelled up.

NicandChic · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2015, 09:57:07 am »

I'm in the process of hatching 11 light sussex, 8 hatched 3 to go all fluffing up in the incubator. Mine are going into a welping box with heat lamp, I wouldn't risk the temp fluctuation or the chance of roasting them

At least with a lamp they can gauge their own temperature as needed.

Clansman · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2015, 10:50:27 am »

Yep overheating may well be more of a concern than underheating with the log burner. (that and maybe the cat)?

If Carbon Monoxide were a genuine concern then you have more to worry about than keeping chicks warm! We'll assume you have a proper log burner and CO monitor

What sort of room temperature range are you getting through the day and night?

I'd not keep them close to the burner but you'll probably be fine keeping them in the same room dependant on how low the temperature gets at night, they'll soon let you know if they're getting cold

When I was young we kept chicks in the warm kitchen without a heat lamp no problem so shouldn't be a problem.

Chicks will quite happily run around in quite low temperatures outside then pop back to mum for a quick warm up so temperature fluctuation isn't a great problem as long as they can get warmed up again, maybe one end of the basket nearer the burner than the other and move it as necessary?

chrismahon · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2015, 11:46:52 am »

In my experience chickens have little tolerance of CO compared to humans. At just 30ppm even a big strong 6Kg cockerel was chronically ill. This is the level that humans will just begin to experience any sickness apparently. CO Alarms work at 50ppm, so by then it's too late for chickens. I expect little chicks to have far less tolerance as they are about the same size as Canaries.

The alarm hadn't gone off but I was feeling quite ill. Took me about 6 weeks to recover, but the cockerel was vastly improved just 24 hours after letting the fire go out and opening the windows. Apparently any sudden pet deaths in a house with a potential CO problem, even with an alarm, should be investigated.

ballingall · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2015, 02:49:52 pm »

I wouldn't rely on the central heating/ log burner alone. You could try using a hot water bottle- fill it every 6-8 hours and it should keep warm. Wrap it well up in a towel though so they cant be burnt by it. We did this when I was young, or even if there was power cut.

Have to say I have a heat lamp, but I was actually looking at these today

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008HVM56Q/ref=s9_simh_gw_p199_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=01HTR8F3BE7YAN06MDD9&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=455344027&pf_rd_i=468294

Which are supposed to be a lot more economical. Also I may want to keep batches of chicks seperate and I thought I could use the heat lamp for one batch, and this for the others.

Beth

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2015, 03:18:55 pm »

I have something similar but have gone back to dull emitters. You can't spot a very young chick with problems nearly so easily as if it's under a lamp and once they're old enough to jump on top of it it becomes covered in droppings.

Womble · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2015, 05:08:21 pm »

We have a couple of the electic hen heat pads too, and they're really good. More expensive to buy initially than a heat lamp, but much lower electricity consumption, so they do pay for themselves over time.

HesterF · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2015, 09:22:06 pm »

Yep, I've raised just a couple at a time with the little Brinsea brooder in a plastic box. I guess it depends whether you're planning on more hatches so you can get good value from it. Doesn't cost a lot to run.

lindaball1961@gmail.com · « **Reply #11 on:** March 10, 2015, 03:56:38 pm »

Hi there. I've only ever used an electric hen (bought from a car boot sale for £5.00!!). My husband modified it to hang instead of the leg arrangement. Works well for us although as mentioned once they start jumping on it, it does get covered in poo! That said, it's easy to clean and the little ones get to exercise their wings and develop strong legs!!

HesterF · « **Reply #12 on:** March 10, 2015, 10:04:46 pm »

Actually the other advantage of them hopping up on top is that it doubles the area of that part of the brooder too so if you are limited on space, once they're big enough (which is days),they can use the top as a cool area and underneath as a warm area.

Stereo · « **Reply #13 on:** March 10, 2015, 11:59:24 pm »

I know of someone who burned their house down keeping chicks warm next to a log burner. So, be careful if you want to do that.

Electric hens are great. I think better than a lamp because for one they use less energy and secondly, it's hard for the chicks to pile up if the height is correct. Also no risk of explosion / fire etc. you sometimes get with lamps. I usually tilt mine a bit so they can find the level that is best for them. On top we use a piece of thin plywood cut to stay inside the legs which can be discarded or left out in the rain / sun to sanitise for next time.