Sorry for your loss
Well water is best because it contains minerals, whereas as bottled water has minerals filtered out. You can buy bottled water with mineralsā¦but why bother when you can have your well water tested!? Find out how to take a clean sample, and mail it off for testing. All that said, I think it is unlikely that it is your waterā¦ nor: the heat plate, electrical issues, two separate hatcheries, two different feeds.
Yes, you can brood outsideā¦ but there is much more in preparationā¦ so do your research.
As for temps in brooding chicks outsideā¦ as long as the temps donāt get too hot, too cold, and there are NO draftsā¦ you can brood outside. Heat plates are fantastic, what I use indoors, but they arenāt meant to be used outside. In fact, per manufacturerās instructions, they canāt be used in temps below 50-60 degrees, depending on the brand (50 for Brinsea). Some people use heat lamps, but they are a fire hazard and chicks donāt wean themselves from heat as quickly as with heat plates.
You can use Sweeter Heaters instead. They are made for use outdoors and can be used in temps as low as 40 degrees.
Hope this helps
Edited to add: I forgot to mentionā¦ I use the outside spigot to get water because I have a water softening system, which the outside spigots are not connected to. There are nos studies to say whether or not salt softening systems are safe for birdsā¦ but experts recommend avoiding it anyway. So when I raise chicks indoors, I get water from the outside spigots.
Well water is best because it contains minerals, whereas as bottled water has minerals filtered out. You can buy bottled water with mineralsā¦but why bother when you can have your well water tested!? Find out how to take a clean sample, and mail it off for testing. All that said, I think it is unlikely that it is your waterā¦ nor: the heat plate, electrical issues, two separate hatcheries, two different feeds.
Yes, you can brood outsideā¦ but there is much more in preparationā¦ so do your research.
As for temps in brooding chicks outsideā¦ as long as the temps donāt get too hot, too cold, and there are NO draftsā¦ you can brood outside. Heat plates are fantastic, what I use indoors, but they arenāt meant to be used outside. In fact, per manufacturerās instructions, they canāt be used in temps below 50-60 degrees, depending on the brand (50 for Brinsea). Some people use heat lamps, but they are a fire hazard and chicks donāt wean themselves from heat as quickly as with heat plates.
You can use Sweeter Heaters instead. They are made for use outdoors and can be used in temps as low as 40 degrees.
Hope this helps
Edited to add: I forgot to mentionā¦ I use the outside spigot to get water because I have a water softening system, which the outside spigots are not connected to. There are nos studies to say whether or not salt softening systems are safe for birdsā¦ but experts recommend avoiding it anyway. So when I raise chicks indoors, I get water from the outside spigots.
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