Chick brooder

[ottawagardener]

So I'm looking for something really simple but reports of cardboard boxes being a fire hazard and being difficult to lug around when a bit soggy, made me think of using a large plastic storage bin. Thoughts?

Also, anyone use anything other than a heat lamp?

And lastly, can you brood ducklings with chicks for a short time?

[johno]

My dad has always used a cardboard box and an incandescent bulb (instead of an actual heat lamp bulb). It's indoors, so there isn't much cold (lack of heat) to overcome. He puts hardware cloth over the top and sets the heat lamp fixture on it - this fixture holds a regular bulb up off the screen. I think he keeps it suspended by the cord so he can raise it if need be. The main thing is keeping the chicks' environment 90 degrees F and somewhat ventilated. It's good to keep the heat source at one end so they can move to the cool end if they want to.

As far as being a fire hazard, common sense is key.

[garnetmoth]

we used a pair of galvanized wash tubs with a hardware cloth lid. worked pretty well except we had way too many chickens. thank goodness theyre outside now!

[flowerpower]

I would raise ducklings and chicks separately. I've used plastic totes for chicks. They work well. Easy to clean. How many birds are you getting?

[ottawagardener]

This year just 10 chicks and 5 duckling - I'm starting slow.

[mnjrutherford]

We've just completed our 2nd hatch out of a "Little Giant" incubator. It's a glorified styrofoam box with a heating element and we added an egg turner but let me tell you, once you figure it out the thing works a charm.

Our first hatch yielded only 10 chicks from 41 eggs. I'm pretty sure it was because a) temp was to low due to bad thermometer and b) we could not stop ourselves from being "helpful". With this second hatch we have 24 chicks from 30 eggs. That's a fairly decent improvement curve I think.

We did 1 thing badly though and that was that we forgot to check the water level and the reservoirs went dry. Fortunately, I remembered to check it a couple hours after turning off the egg turner. One thing we were wise about was that we did not open the box "frivolously" throughout the incubation period. We did open it every once in a while when we noticed that the heat was a tad to high. In those cases I lifted the back, fanned it up and down a couple times then closed it back up. We also kept a very close eye on the temp range, checking it 3 or 4 times each day.

We have another hatch already set and it consists mainly of the eggs lain by the Cornish X who have had the Barred Plymouth Rock rooster "keeping them company". I don't think this is such a great idea but Mike is thrilled with the monster sized eggs they lay. Guess we will just have to see what we will just have to see.

Telsing, you are certainly starting slow. I envy you! ;o)

OH, off topic, the guineas have laid a HUGE nest of eggs. Mike is guessing close to 100 eggs. A few days ago he went out and about half a dozen eggs had been evicted from the nest. We are guessing that this occurred because the mommas realized somehow that those eggs were "bad"? Today Mike also reported that it appears that there are 2 hens "setting" the nest. They appear to take turns going off to graze and take a bit of a brake leaving one momma on duty at all times. It seems to me that guineas are really excellent parents contrary to what I've heard and read elsewhere.

[synergy]

Well I have 8 chicks and getting 6 ducklings and I am going to try them together . They are only a few days difference in age. We'll see what happens.

[seedywen]

Ducklings and chicks of similiar ages can be raised together in my experience...for awhile. However how ducks like to take their feed to the waterer, soon befouls the waterers and tends to leave bits of wet feed lying around(messy business!) The chicks prefer dry feed so soon, there's wasted food.

I've found when raising chicks after incubation, that it's important to maintain optimum hygienic conditions and warm temperatures during the brooding period. Ducklings need similiar care but they always seem hardier to me, compared to the sensitivity of young chicks.

So generally I split my brooding building into two pens, chicks one side/ducklings the other if raising them at the same time. Currently have 20 month old RIR chicks and another 12 hatched yesterday. Ducklings are still in eggs under two Muscovy mothers. And today, a kindergarden teacher that I partner with each spring, is picking up three dozen Appleyard/Muscovy eggs for incubation in her classroom.

And another kindergarden teacher who I gave RIR eggs to three weeks ago will bring those chicks that hatched back to the farm next week.

These various spring hatchings have revolved to a certain extent around spring farm tours for young children of which there's been three so far. Calves, goat kids and baby rabbits also get coordinated into the spring farm mix.

[synergy]

You definitely can brood chicks and ducklings together but they do grow, eat and behave differently and have different needs as they grow. I am raising cayuga ducklings with light sussex chicks and have a laying hen mothering the lot of them though se never hatched any of them. Still it works. The kids are allowed to jump on the trampoline only when the poultry are put away : )

[bunkie]

love the trampoline idea synergy!!!

we raised 3 baby banties and 4 ducklings together. all was well, and the ducks eventually had the chickens walking in water! then, the hens started laying and the boy ducks started chasing the rooster banty! we were giving the rooster hell when we discovered it was the boy duck chasing him and grabbing his tail feathers. never saw that one coming! they were all free to roam about the property then.

also, jo, we've seen the girl ducks throw out bad eggs (infertile) in their nests before too. also, our two girls would share a nest and take turns brooding.