Who needs sleep anyways

Post by **WLLady** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 10:37 am

my first thought (if they're under a red light so the light isn't keeping them up) is cold...drafty or cold underfoot.....lots of peeping is complaining, like others have said food, water, someone is lost, someone is cold....the only peep i hear from my basement right now (with a bunch of turkeys and chicks) is the head turkey chirping at the cat watching them...otherwise not a peep.

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 11:48 am

I agree if they are chirping it's usually because they are cold, but maybe you just have sensitive ears.

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:23 pm

I agree with the general concensus: if they are constantly chirping, there's something not right - most likely they are too cold.
As OC said, baby chicks need to be kept pretty hot. Think sauna! The first week of their lives they require an air temperature of 95 degrees, the second week 90 degrees, and so on - going down by 5 degrees per week until they're ready to transition to "outside". A 250-watt infrared heat lamp can achieve this, placed right in the middle of their living area and suspended off the ground and the height of the light will depend on what it takes to achieve your target temperature.
A red heat bulb is recommended for a few reasons: one, with a bright white light constantly glaring it can be hard for them to sleep. The red light is darker and provides them some respite. Two, red lights help prevent them from pecking one another.
Have you watched how your chicks are behaving? If they are all crowded together directly under the heat source, they're cold. If they're around the edges of the brooder, avoiding the heat and each other like the plague, they're too hot. If they are warm enough, they will happily be exploring all around the brooder.

muffin57 · Post by **muffin57** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 2:31 pm

My babies are pretty quiet except for one early morning at 5am. When I got up to check on them their brooder was soaked from the drinking water leaking out. I got it cleaned up and dry again and they sure were happy little chicks again. Sure are different from ducklings. Chicks like it warm and dry.

SandyM · Post by **SandyM** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:43 pm

Thanks everyone. Got a few changes in motion

SandyM · Post by **SandyM** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 5:48 pm

goatgal35 wrote:QR_BBPOST I'm not trying to worry you cause I know when it comes to your birds you already stress enough, but... If my chicks are noisy, it means something is wrong. My brooders are in our basement. If I hear peeping I go see what is wrong. Usually they are out of food, water, a light has gone out or the Kat is pestering them. As long as they are comfy and have food and water they are quiet.

I do stress a lot about their care and health, and this thread only made me worse with repetitive 'something is wrong'

I'm assuming they are cold because they are eating up a storm and drinking plenty as well. Very playful and little wing flapping etc. Thankfully, I haven't killed any yet, surprisingly really, but the heat is now turned up (I had the switch on low) and cranking out some wattage. I have internal struggles, heat lamps cause fires, chicks need to be warm, but I don't want to burn chicks or burn the house down.

Lou has picked up 3, because I need 3 of them, smoke detectors and one will be in with them on the ledge and then the others will be placed throughout the bathroom when he gets home.

I'm not sure why Lou hasn't divorced me yet. Oh right. Because we aren't married. HAHAHA!

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 6:09 pm

HAHA Lou sounds like a great guy! when it comes to heat lamps I make sure they can't fall... I use wire c clamps and screw them into the wood. I dont even use the clamps that come with the brooder lamps. i just toss those. when I need to adjust the height I unscrew it and slide the wire out. if im using a rabbit cage I run the cord up through the cage and back down into a knot... in the past I have kept them under a smoke alarm. im guna have to put one up in the garage... I never even thought of that, there should be one anyways.

if all the chicks are evenly dispersed throughout the brooder eating m drinking all is well. if they are all huddled under the lamp they are too cold. if they are as far away from the lamp as possible they are to hot. I just make adjustments according to the chicks behavior.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:35 pm

SandyM wrote:QR_BBPOST
goatgal35 wrote:QR_BBPOST I'm not trying to worry you cause I know when it comes to your birds you already stress enough, but... If my chicks are noisy, it means something is wrong. My brooders are in our basement. If I hear peeping I go see what is wrong. Usually they are out of food, water, a light has gone out or the Kat is pestering them. As long as they are comfy and have food and water they are quiet.
I do stress a lot about their care and health, and this thread only made me worse with repetitive 'something is wrong' I'm assuming they are cold because they are eating up a storm and drinking plenty as well. Very playful and little wing flapping etc. Thankfully, I haven't killed any yet, surprisingly really, but the heat is now turned up (I had the switch on low) and cranking out some wattage. I have internal struggles, heat lamps cause fires, chicks need to be warm, but I don't want to burn chicks or burn the house down.

Lou has picked up 3, because I need 3 of them, smoke detectors and one will be in with them on the ledge and then the others will be placed throughout the bathroom when he gets home.

I'm not sure why Lou hasn't divorced me yet. Oh right. Because we aren't married. HAHAHA!

Watch carefully if they got chilled, some might get pasty butt-

sticks to their butts- and you'll have to wash that off.

TomK · Post by **TomK** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 8:17 pm

Oh right. I remember my first time dealing with pasty butt. LOL

SandyM · Post by **SandyM** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 10:09 pm

Yes, Lou has a very high tolerance. Actually the most tolerant, calm person I've ever met. A complete contradiction to who I am hahaha!

Sssssssshhhhhhhhhh!!! Everyone is sleeping. Peaceful. Just got home from a poultry meeting and checked on them and they are around the exterior area of the bulb heat, in groups. The 2 tiniest ones are closer to the bulb. They must of been cold. Poor babies. But they'll thank me later when they didn't catch on fire. :)

I haven't had to deal with pasty butt. Fingers crossed

Al, there in my shower stall that isn't used, but when I put them out in the coop I'm going to sort something so the light is fixed. It has a cage over the bulb, but that isn't fire proof either.

I'm looking forward to some Zzzz's myself.
Thanks for all the advice!!!