Incorrect/Improper Lighting in the Brooder

Incorrect Lighting 

So you just brought home some new fluffy butts. You made sure to get them some bedding, a water dish, a feeder and maybe even some treats. But did you get them a decent heat source?

If you purchased your chicks/ducklings at a feed store, chances are they had two choices for keeping your new babies warm. A clear heat lamp and a red heat lamp. I assume most new poultry keepers go for the clear bulb so that they can see their new babies, and it just somehow seems like the better option. BUT I do believe the red heat lamp is the way to go (now, if you can afford a Brinsea EcoGlow, I would highly suggest getting that instead!).

What I have learned from using the clear heat bulbs is that it attracts bugs and causes the chicks to peck each other more as well as peck at the walls of their brooder. It also seems to keep them up at night, in turn keeping me up too (I am crazy, and brood my babies in my bedroom..)

With the red heat bulb the chicks and ducklings just seem more calm. It reduces pecking, keeps them warm, is easier on their little eyes, and isn't so bright that it keeps us all up at night.

Improper Lighting (and hazards)

Have you ever poured a cold liquid into a hot glass without thinking, causing the glass to shatter? Apply that idea to all hot glass/cold liquid scenarios. This is one of the most overlooked hazards of raising chicks. The light needs to be kept fairly low for the first couple weeks to keep the babies properly warm. Easy enough. Or is it?

With the heat lamp being so low, it is easier than one might think for a messy chick or duckling to splatter water, risking splashing some onto their heat lamp. Even just a drop can cause the light to shatter, opening up all sorts of dangers for your babies, especially if you're not there. Not only is water a hazard, but dust particles, feather/quill, pieces of straw etc. can all drift up, finding their way onto the lamp posing a potential threat/risk of fire. 

SO if you can afford it, go with a Brinsea EcoGlow or something similar. But if that's not an option for you, try to choose a red heat bulb with a safety screen of some sort. Make sure to install the light close but not too close. Having a large brooder will allow keeping the light and the water a good distance from each other (but as you may know by now, ducklings are insistent upon soaking everything!)

Is My Brooder Warm Enough?

 The easiest way to tell is by studying the behavior of your chicks/ducklings. There are suggested temperatures to keep your brooder at during certain stages as well as brooder thermometers to help you accurately determine the temp. BUT all animals are unique, so it is best to watch them and get to know what temperature they seem to like best. Sometimes when brooding multiples you will have chicks that are cold while some are panting due to being too hot. If given a large enough brooder, you can design it to where the heat source is on one side, allowing them to choose the temperature that is best for them.

If chicks are cold, they will huddle together. Oftentimes peeping louder than usual and seeimg overal discontent. If this is the case, lower the heat lamp and see what happens. Once they start to warm up, the babies will disperse, claiming their own little area of the brooder. They might even scratch around before plopping down to stretch out their wings, soaking up as much heat as possible. Now pay attention because there is a fine line of being contently warm and starting to cook! If the chicks seem to be extra thirsty, panting, lethargic, not hungry and keeping to themselves, they could be super hot! (Now make sure this is due to being overheated, as you don't want to overlook anything that could be fatal.)

Again, this is where the Brinsea EcoGlow (which I cannot afford, lol) would come in handy! It is extra safe, adjustable, easy to clean, and just looks more aesthetically pleasing than a heat lamp.

The temperature should be 90-95 degrees for the first week in the warmest part of the brooder and should be reduced by around 5 degrees each week thereafter, until the chicks have their feathers (5-8 weeks old)

Identifying Roosters in Young Chicks

 

If you have never owned a rooster before, it can be difficult seeing the signs of one in your own  young flock. When I first started raising chickens, I was often fooled a lot. I still end up with a few males here and there, but I have gotten a lot better at identifying them before even buying them now. 

If you are buying chicks that are vent sexed, their is still a 5%-10% chance of getting a male. I honestly don't know if I believe that, unless of course I just happen to have the worst.luck.ever! I always seem to get a pretty decent male to female ratio. I don't mind a few select roosters, but I don't need them to outnumber the hens. Heck, I don't even want a quarter of them to be roosters, but it's a gamble.

It really is..

The only guaranteed way you are getting female chicks is by purchasing Sex Links. They come in several varieties, and just basically signifies that you can auto sex them at birth depending on their coloration.

I recommend Sex Links for someone looking for a hardy breed that will lay consistently without having to chance winding up with a male. I chose 6 Black Sex Links and 4 Golden Sex Links to start off with. They make a perfect beginner "breed", and are pretty common, and easy to find.

Signs to look for:

Thick Legs and Large Feet- This is a pretty good indicator if you have several of the same breed and age to use for comparison. You can hold a chick in each hand and compare with little effort. Males legs and feet tend to be thicker, longer, and more defined. Keep in mind that some breeds tend to have bigger legs in general, and even some pullets can look more masculine than their male counterparts, so it's certainly not definitive. Make sure to check for all the signs listed below, as the more you notice, the more likely the chick in question is indeed a male.

Body Size- When looking at chicks the same age and breed you can easily pick out some of the larger birds. Males tend to be larger early, on making it a decent indicator for selecting the sex you want. I have also noticed that males will have larger heads than the females, even before their body size gives them away.

Comb and Wattle Development- From very early on you should be able to spot more pronounced combs amongst chicks of the same age. Within a couple weeks, the cockerels combs start getting noticeably redder than the other chicks. The wattles will start presenting themselves, and the more red and defined they are, the more likely it is you've got yourself a male. Remember; pullets will also start developing wattles and combs in certain breeds, but it is pretty easy to differentiate from the males as they will be smaller and lighter. As they get older, pullets combs tend to be flop over, while the cockerels will stand up.

Feather Development- Despite their larger stature, young male chicks tend to feather out at a slower rate (sometimes a lot slower) keeping their down for a bit longer as the females start showing their true colors and patterns. Females will also start developing more prominent wings and tails before the males do. In some breeds, feather coloration can even be an immediate giveaway as to if the chick is male or female. In this case, they are called Sex Links. As they age, pullets will start developing their straight, rounded tail feathers (all feathers on tail will be round if female) while their male counterparts start developing what we call "Hackle Feathers", "Saddle Feathers" and "Sickle Feathers" (see below) Males will also start growing in some pretty green iridescent plumage, generally around the neck and tail. These things will happen as the cockerel starts nearing maturity, around 5-6 months of age.

Early signs of male vs female feather development:

The same cockerel, Lindsay Cluckingham, as a rooster and Miss Gypsy (still a non laying pullet) at 5 months old:

They are both Easter Eggers. Notice the male (on top) has a larger, darker comb, and long, pointed hackle feathers.





Hackle Feathers- This is the term referring to the feathers around the neck of the chicken. The will be rounded like a spoon and shorter on females while the opposite holds true for the males, being long and pointed. These are the feathers roosters puff out when getting into a scuffle with another male.

Saddle Feathers- These are the feathers found towards your chickens bum. On males they will start to look longer and flowing, cascading down their back end. Pullets will have rounded saddled feathers.

Sickle Feathers- These are the long, curved feathers on the tail. This signifies a rooster.

Now these tricks may not be as fail safe as sexing based upon appearance, but when I spend a lot of time with the chicks I begin to be able to spot the males out of the group. Males will tend to be less shy at first than the females. At a very early age I have noticed the males seeming to stand watch over the rest of the group. They also seem to make more eye contact, be a bit noisier, stand up straighter as if they have a lot of pride (which they should!!) and sometimes even a little more aggressive about things like eating, getting the best spot to roost, etc. Cockerels usually start making little clicking and chirping sounds before they start crowing, and seem to cause a lot more fuss about things than the ladies do.