chris_21 Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 hi everyone i'm new to this forum and new to hatching little chicks the problem i have is i have a lamp over my brooder which is 19 inches above the brooder i have just chcked the temperture and it s reading 44 degrees now what do i do as i carn't really go any higher and and i don't want to over heat the chick i sometimes as it's beak open and just standing there plus it is sqeaking alot and quiet loudl as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 Hi Chris I'm not a great deal of use regarding temps of brooders as I dont ever measure the temp in mine As a rule if the chick is squeeking then its hungry or cold. If its right under the lamp then its probably cold - try lowering the lamp down. If it avoids the heat then its too warm and you need to raise the lamp - its unlikely that its too warm as the chick would probably just move away in that case (make sure there is room for it to move away if it has to) Without knowing what wattage the bulb is its hard for me to comment but when I used a 125w bulb it was probably only about 14 inches above the chicks on day 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_21 Posted October 30, 2010 Author Share Posted October 30, 2010 hi there thanks for the reply i am useing a 250 watt infa red light bulb is sqeaks alot and it's just walking round i've seen it eat and drink but when you go over to it it runs over to you very happy i think it just wants a friend and it's lonely i wish i could find someone that sells day old chicks in nottingham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 everything that Tash said, but also, chicks are very noisy for the first few days too, mine always seemed to get noiser when the light starts fading on a night. once its properly dark and they start falling asleep then they quieten down. just make sure, like Tash said, that it can get away from the heat if it needs to, and make sure it always has plenty of water to drink. Have you seen it drink? sometimes if they are hatched in an incubator and have no mommy chook to show them, you have to dip its beak in the water so it knows to drink. Also sprinkle some food in front of it too, your trying to copy what its mother would do naturally. let us know how you get on Oh just cross posted with you pop a cuddly toy in there with it to keep it company, no, seriously! I dont personally like infra red bulbs either as there is no light or dark for the chick then but for the first couple of nights that shouldnt matter. Try find a ceramic bulb so it gets used to dark nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted October 30, 2010 Share Posted October 30, 2010 If its a 250W lamp then yes your height probably isnt far off correct, you'll need a way of being able to raise this up longer term though - a home made stand may be in order (I will dig out a pic of mine) I agree with CW a cuddly toy would be good - make it a small one and keep it away from that lamp though! I fyou dont have a cuddly toy then a scrunched up bobble hat or flannel will do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_21 Posted October 30, 2010 Author Share Posted October 30, 2010 yes i see what you mean it is very quiet now and i found one of my partners teddys and popped that in there and it got under it straight away thinking it was it's mum then i nicked one of her makeup mirrors and put that in there and it sleeping nexted to it thinking it's his brother or sister i hope all go's well with him/her and doesn't die on me as it's my first ever chick i have hatched it is so exciteing even for a 21 year old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 You'll need to do a bit of forward planning and think about where the chick will live when it comes out of the brooder. It will be ready to do this (roughly 5/6 weeks) just as the weather is about to do its worst, and temperatures plummet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_21 Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 hi yes, Im aware of the 5/6 week thing, I am going to go and get it a friend this afternoon, and once they reach 5/6 weeks an indoor rabbit setup is beingput in the spare bedroom, this will be used untill the chicks are old enough to fight off the cold during the day and will continue to be brought in at night until next spring when they can go out with the others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_21 Posted October 31, 2010 Author Share Posted October 31, 2010 I had a nice surprise today. I went down to my local farm to have a look at some chickens so me and the women got talking as we do as i am a regular on her farm as i go all the time to look at her chcikens so i told her about my trouble and she said to me follow me and took me in to her hatching shed and said here you go and gave me two 2 day old chicks one is a choclate orpington and a gold laced orpington i was lost for words as she said take them there yours for free i couldn't let her give them me as they are not cheap chickens to buy but she wouldn't take any money from me so i went home with these little chicks as well as buying some silver and gold sebrights and told my partner and she just said what a lovely women she is now my little chick is well happy now it as friends and my sebrights are doing fine as well i she get you some pic's soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted October 31, 2010 Share Posted October 31, 2010 That's lovely Chris. It's nice to know their are good folk out there. Chicks sound lovely too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Wow, how lovely. Pleased your little chick has some friends. Piccies when you're ready Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_21 Posted November 1, 2010 Author Share Posted November 1, 2010 i'll get some picture's on wednesday hope thats ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted November 1, 2010 Share Posted November 1, 2010 Aww. How nice of her! Hope they're girls too! Look forward to the photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Great outcome, look forward to seeing them. There are some nice people around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chick wiggle Posted November 2, 2010 Share Posted November 2, 2010 Wow! Chocolate Orpington? thats really nice of her. Fingers crossed for girls then Looking forward to the pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helen1962 Posted November 3, 2010 Share Posted November 3, 2010 Hi All We raised chicks at home as well. They lived in a gerbil tank with a dull emitter above their heads. We bought a small chick thermometer which told us what heat the brooder should be at a partcular stage of life which was great. The chicks lived in the lounge for the first few weeks. They were very noisy particularly when we were watching telly so we put towels on the top to keep the light out and hopefully stop the cheeping! Didn't work. Anyway they are big fat hens now laying their own eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
