AL - Recording baby steps: Newest Addition

[lorihadams]

Oh lord, don't bring em back in the house!!!!

I am weaning mine off the light at night now....then our temps turned really cold, down in the 30s, and hubby plugged the lamp in without me knowing it for a couple of nights and they are spoiled again.

Tonight, no lights....the temps here should be in the 40s tonight but they will live.....until thanksgiving at least

 

[AL]

HAHAHA

Well, mine are only 2 weeks old today and have already been outside. I feel like I should keep a light on all the time because of the weather. It is supposed to be in the upper 30s Friday and Saturday (I think only 41 tomorrow night?) so I have to do something for them. I am thinking of getting another red bulb and then giving them some new, fresh deep litter and just leaving them in the pool (instead of converting the shelter to a big brooder).
After this weekend it is supposed to get back into the 50s for a while.

 

[AL]

Wow... we have had just over 3" of rain since midnight! I guess it is "feast or famine" because we haven't had rain of any significance for awhile now. It is still raining, but just a light rain, not as heavy as earlier today.

 

[Denim Deb]

It's raining here, too. I hope we don't get 3" of rain! I had planned on going out in my canoe today. Oh well.

As for light, I had a couple of peeps that I raised for a friend. My kids own reptiles. They had an extra heat bulb that wasn't being used. There's no light w/that, so that's what I used. It kept them plenty warm, and I didn't have to worry about them getting used to the dark.

 

[TanksHill]

What type of bulb is that? A red one?

g

 

[AL]

Yes, DD, more info on that??

We ended up with just under 5" of rain as of this morning!

I got up early this morning and ran several errands.
Tomorrow I have a counseling appt (long gory story) and he asked me to bring my photos from the Fair, so I went and had smaller prints made (rather than lugging in 10x13s). I went to Apple Market and bought 2 1/2 gallon bottles of fresh Jersey milk (still has heavy cream floating at the top... ) , 3 sugar pumpkins (99cents) and some dried veggie chips. Then a quick trip to the feedstore for layer, horsefeed for Skye and another red light bulb for the colder weather coming.

I'll have a quick lunch then I have to go unload feed, dish out to everyone and then dump the meaties pool onto the compost pile and give them some fresh litter. Not looking forward to that job!

 

[AL]

Good grief that was a job! Wrangling 22 chicks into tote bins so I can clean the pool. It was like a made for TV wrestling match getting the pool to the compost pile and back (we have winds of 18mph with gusts up to 27). I look like I had a fight with a lawnmower instead of just 2 lengths of hardware cloth.
I changed the 2nd bulb to a red one, gave them the 4th quart water font and refilled all of the feed dishes. I also gave them a big handful of pinched up oat grass, some oats and fresh grit.

After all of that, unloading feed and manhandling bales of hay I am actually ready to go to work so I can sit down!

 

[Denim Deb]

Don't know if this is exactly the same as what my kids have, but it's this type of heater. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753963 You use this type of lamp w/it http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753959&keepsr=0&clickid=prod_cs. It did a good job of keeping them warm enough.

 

[AL]

Good to know, DD... I'm curious to know how it would work with chicks.

As for my chicks.... made it through one cold night, 2 more colder ones to go. They sleep in a very loose pile, together but not on top of one another. I am going to work on warming things up for tonight.

If the farrier ever gets here there are several things I need to do. He was supposed to be here by 930... 15 minutes ago.

11 - appt
afterwards - buy scratch and oyster shell, feed for the vacuums.. er... chicks and also some straw.
Have to put straw in the chickenhouse (after I scoop it out) and on my squash plants. Put something to block potential drafts on the walls of both the chickenhouse and the meatie shelter.

Put some more hay out of storage and in the feed stall so it is handy.

Tomorrow my nephew has baseball games and I really want / need to go. I also really want to work on making butter and doing something with my pumpkins!

 

[AL]

The wind is whipping out there! Running about 20mph with 27mph gusts. I went ahead and pulled back the south tarp on the meatie shelter. Even though it is cool and windy, they were stretched out in the sunshine (and 2 heat lamps ).

I bought a big bag of scratch grains for my layers. I thought Big Poppy, my rooster, was challenging me - but he was dancing for me and then showed me some treats. Great.

Eating some chili and then headed out to get cold weather ready - even if it is only for a weekend.