Serious chicken math misunderestimation! Help

ihateplucking · Post by **ihateplucking** » Tue May 17, 2016 11:33 pm

For the barn you may want to look up Ohio brooders. They can hold a lot of birds with little energy.
IHP

kenya · Post by **kenya** » Wed May 18, 2016 1:51 am

Ha! Ha! My husband would flip if I used the tub!

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 5:46 am

This morning one of the cornish chicks flew the bathtub coop, I had to put her back in at quarter after five :-/ and I am NOT a morning person! I've cobbled together a roof for the brooder. I'll try again down at the barn but this time I'm going to be smart and just take down a brooder lamp and a thermometer before I move the chicks!
Thanks I'll look into the Ohio brooder, haven't heard of that one and it sounds interesting.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 5:58 am

I looked into the Ohio brooder- it's like a monster EcoGlow! I have a couple of questions about it though, there's nothing to stop floor drafts, and it puts the heat lamp very close to the bedding which makes me a bit nervous. Although having the lamps horizontal may help- Has anybody tried one of these?
I can see the value of a low roof, back to the brooder drawing board.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hkmw ... /46524.pdf

Flat Rock Farm · Post by **Flat Rock Farm** » Wed May 18, 2016 6:37 am

kenya wrote:QR_BBPOST Ha! Ha! My husband would flip if I used the tub!

Mine too kenya, he thinks it's bad enough if I have them in the basement on the work bench!! LOL

TomK · Post by **TomK** » Wed May 18, 2016 7:12 am

Just read three pages on this thread...omg!!!!...lmao...chicken math issues..just gotta love em...my question is, whatcha gonna do with all the chicks, Robbie?

Post by **Home Grown Poultry** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:44 am

HAHA Robbie is guna keep the best and eat the rest!

that Ohio Brooder is pretty cool, I drew up something almost identical the other day and I never seen it before. thanks for the link.

Jaye · Post by **Jaye** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:46 am

Robbie wrote:QR_BBPOST I looked into the Ohio brooder- it's like a monster EcoGlow! I have a couple of questions about it though, there's nothing to stop floor drafts, and it puts the heat lamp very close to the bedding which makes me a bit nervous. Although having the lamps horizontal may help- Has anybody tried one of these?
I can see the value of a low roof, back to the brooder drawing board.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hkmw ... /46524.pdf

Very interesting, the Ohio brooder. Thanks for posting the link, Robbie. I think it has potential to fit your needs. As you said, much like a monster Eco Glow ... not quite though, because the chicks have light 24/7 under the Ohio brooder , whereas the Eco glow and like products use radiant heat and no light, so the chicks can get better quality sleep at night. I guess using red heat lamps would be better than a regular white light bulb. Still, I would be worried about the lamps being that close to the bedding too. Maybe if you can find infrared radiant heat bulbs, instead of standard heat lamps? That would take care of the fire hazard concern. I have no idea how much they cost, though.
Re: your question about floor drafts, on page 6 of the pdf file they kind of addressed that: "Side curtains can be suedused when needed during severely cold weather. If there are floor drafts, a curtain can be used on the one or two exposed sides."

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:47 am

TomK wrote:QR_BBPOST Just read three pages on this thread...omg!!!!...lmao...chicken math issues..just gotta love em...my question is, whatcha gonna do with all the chicks, Robbie?

I'm keeping only the best. If I get a better Buckeye cockerel than my present rooster, I'll keep him; I'm keeping one BuckeyexCornish rooster, one Cornish rooster, and (maybe, not sure) a Barred Holland rooster. The other cockerels will have short but happy lives, unless anyone wants them,and as far as the hens go, I'm keeping the 2 best laying Buff rocks, the whitest eggshell Barred Hollands, probably all the 10 cornish hens (pets), the best Buckeye pullets, and the earliest laying/ most productive of the Buckeye/ Cornish cross chicks and Buckeye/production red crosses, about five or so of each.
Looks like I have some nice chicks, they all seem to have good temperaments so hopefully I won't have to cull for behaviour- although it's a bit early for that.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Wed May 18, 2016 8:52 am

Jaye wrote:QR_BBPOST
Robbie wrote:QR_BBPOST I looked into the Ohio brooder- it's like a monster EcoGlow! I have a couple of questions about it though, there's nothing to stop floor drafts, and it puts the heat lamp very close to the bedding which makes me a bit nervous. Although having the lamps horizontal may help- Has anybody tried one of these?
I can see the value of a low roof, back to the brooder drawing board.
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hkmw ... /46524.pdf
Very interesting, the Ohio brooder. Thanks for posting the link, Robbie. I think it has potential to fit your needs. As you said, much like a monster Eco Glow ... not quite though, because the chicks have light 24/7 under the Ohio brooder , whereas the Eco glow and like products use radiant heat and no light, so the chicks can get better quality sleep at night. I guess using red heat lamps would be better than a regular white light bulb. Still, I would be worried about the lamps being that close to the bedding too. Maybe if you can find infrared radiant heat bulbs, instead of standard heat lamps? That would take care of the fire hazard concern. I have no idea how much they cost, though.
Re: your question about floor drafts, on page 6 of the pdf file they kind of addressed that: "Side curtains can be suedused when needed during severely cold weather. If there are floor drafts, a curtain can be used on the one or two exposed sides."

What's the difference between infrared heat bulbs and red heat lamps, aren't they the same thing? I bought some reptile bulbs, they were 50 watt and 100 watt strengths- are those different than the chicken brooder bulbs?
I know that the Phillips red lamps suck, the ones I had were just painted red and when I cleaned the bulb the red paint came off :-/ At least the other company's bulbs have the red paint on the inside of the bulb!
I'll be pis$ed off if those bulbs they sell for chick brooders are no different than flood lights. Paid too much then.
Unfortunately my barn is so drafty I don't think that the curtains would work very well, I'm going to need something solid right to the floor. I'll have to think about this some more!