Jester57
Songster
- Nov 13, 2021
- 679
- 2,410
- 246
Let me start off by saying I am far from an expert; I've been keeping chickens for about a year and a half. I've been a reading BackYard Chickens during almost all of that time. I've learned a few things along the way, mostly enough to be dangerous.
But it's that learning curve that I really need to speak about. It's come up before, and I just dismissed it as being opinions; but I'm hatching eggs for the 1st time and the variability of advice is absolutely insane. For an example: Humidity should be maintained between 45-50% according to an expert, except another expert says 60% is what you're shooting for and yet another says between 50-60%. I've seen recommended temps at either 99.5 or 100.5 or maintained between 97 and 101. I mean everyone agrees we're hatching eggs, but that's about it.
And, while I'm on the subject of variability of advice: Virtually every farm and home store around here sold out of their 1st shipment of chicks within hours. Employees I talked to said they've never seen them run out so fast. We hypothesized that this was in direct reaction to the egg prices during this past year. Now, I live in Kansas City, and these stores are located in more or less in suburban areas, so I have to believe that the uptick in sales was caused by nervous surburbanites discovering their inner survivalist. In other words, a bunch of first timers.
And if they come to this site, listen to hatchery owners, feed companies, etc., they are going to get diametrically opposed advice on how to brood those newly-acquired chicks. Indoors, outdoors, heat lamps, brooding plates, mama heating pad brooders etc., are all discussed, but I rarely see them compared and contrasted fairly. If someone likes one approach over another, the other alternatives are immediately dismissed.
In my brief time as a chicken parent, I have used every alternative I mentioned above, and have been blessed with healthy chickens. To be completely transparent, I've only used the heat lamp as a supplemental heatsource in very cold weather when the chicks were outside. I've since discovered that the chicks don't need additional heatsources. I've also read hatchery websites that say to never use heating pads or plates; stick with the classic heat lamp. My 1st batch of chicks were indoor until 6 weeks or so then raised on an enclosed, unheated porch with a brooding plate and the occasional heat lamp on very cold nights. All subsequent batches were raised outside from day 1 with a mama heating pad. They all grew up healthy. The major differences are the chicks raised outside seem sturdier than my 1st batch, but, since I couldn't interact with them as much as the batch raised indoors, they're a lot less friendly.
My point is that deciding how you're going to raise your chickens depends on the outcome you want. There are certain basic parameters that must be met, but after those needs are taken care of, then it's up to what you want and can afford. Also, remember you may not get exactly what you want. Chickens are very much individuals.
Rant over, feel better now. Peace.
But it's that learning curve that I really need to speak about. It's come up before, and I just dismissed it as being opinions; but I'm hatching eggs for the 1st time and the variability of advice is absolutely insane. For an example: Humidity should be maintained between 45-50% according to an expert, except another expert says 60% is what you're shooting for and yet another says between 50-60%. I've seen recommended temps at either 99.5 or 100.5 or maintained between 97 and 101. I mean everyone agrees we're hatching eggs, but that's about it.
And, while I'm on the subject of variability of advice: Virtually every farm and home store around here sold out of their 1st shipment of chicks within hours. Employees I talked to said they've never seen them run out so fast. We hypothesized that this was in direct reaction to the egg prices during this past year. Now, I live in Kansas City, and these stores are located in more or less in suburban areas, so I have to believe that the uptick in sales was caused by nervous surburbanites discovering their inner survivalist. In other words, a bunch of first timers.
And if they come to this site, listen to hatchery owners, feed companies, etc., they are going to get diametrically opposed advice on how to brood those newly-acquired chicks. Indoors, outdoors, heat lamps, brooding plates, mama heating pad brooders etc., are all discussed, but I rarely see them compared and contrasted fairly. If someone likes one approach over another, the other alternatives are immediately dismissed.
In my brief time as a chicken parent, I have used every alternative I mentioned above, and have been blessed with healthy chickens. To be completely transparent, I've only used the heat lamp as a supplemental heatsource in very cold weather when the chicks were outside. I've since discovered that the chicks don't need additional heatsources. I've also read hatchery websites that say to never use heating pads or plates; stick with the classic heat lamp. My 1st batch of chicks were indoor until 6 weeks or so then raised on an enclosed, unheated porch with a brooding plate and the occasional heat lamp on very cold nights. All subsequent batches were raised outside from day 1 with a mama heating pad. They all grew up healthy. The major differences are the chicks raised outside seem sturdier than my 1st batch, but, since I couldn't interact with them as much as the batch raised indoors, they're a lot less friendly.
My point is that deciding how you're going to raise your chickens depends on the outcome you want. There are certain basic parameters that must be met, but after those needs are taken care of, then it's up to what you want and can afford. Also, remember you may not get exactly what you want. Chickens are very much individuals.
Rant over, feel better now. Peace.
