Week 3 with New Chicks

This week marks the Rudd chicks’ 2nd week birthday They are averaging 180 grams now and truly growing each day! 

The 13 chicks are thriving and starting to grow in some juvenile feathers They still have lots of fluff, and still need access to the heat lamp at all times Weather is Alabama has been warm one day, and freezing the next, so it is important to keep an eye on their temperature in the brooding box The heat lamp is always on, but adjustments are needed to other surroundings For example, during

Making A Simple Chick Brooder

In our modern world, only a tiny percentage of baby chicks are lucky enough to have a caring mother For nearly all of the 6,000 or so years that chickens have been domesticated the only way chicks came into the world was under a broody mother hen Broodys patiently incubate eggs for three weeks then switch to mother mode as soon as the babies almost miraculously emerge Moms keeps them warm, show them how to find food and water, and protect them from danger
That changed with the invention of artificial incubation and brooding The ancient

How Long Should Chicks Stay in the Brooder?

Now that you’ve gotten your chicks, how long should they stay in the brooder? When will they be old enough to be introduced to the coop? It’s a good rule of thumb that chicks need to stay warm until they are fully feathered When you look at your chicks, if you see downy feathers, there’s a good chance that they still need warmth in the brooder You can expect your chickens to have all of their adult feathers somewhere between 5-8 weeks of age This will vary some depending on the breed and the individual chick
When