My Little Hoop Coop

[fuzzi]

I moved chicks in the hoop coop yesterday. I had to turn off all but one heat lamp during the day. Turned all 4 on yesterday at 4:30. Went out at 9PM to check on them, and first thing this morning. Temperature this morning is right above 70. They are fine.

Yesterday morning I got up to find a pile of dead chicks. They mobbed up in a pile and the ones on the bottom were dead. So, correct temperature or not, they were going to the coop. I always lose some, but yesterday morning was a massacre. Now they have plenty of room, plenty of heat lamps, feed and water. I’ll just have to watch temperatures during the day. I think from here on out, night temperature will be ok. I had lost a few here and there, lost 12 yesterday, I have 62 left. Plus I have 24 four week olds a friend gave me, in the small coop. Do still have plenty of chickens, probably more than I want to clean. LOL

I'm sorry to hear about the dead chicks, I would be crying. I have only lost one in the two hatchings last year, 11 out of 12 hatched survived. They're tough, yet so fragile.

 

[Baymule]

I always expect to lose some, but yesterday morning was hard. Sometimes losses make me wonder why I’m even doing this. But then something goes right, something wonderful happens and I know why I am a farmer and proud to be a farm-Her!

 

[fuzzi]

Farm-Her. I like that.

Did I share about the time my rooster attacked his own chicks?

Spoiler: Injured chick

I found this little guy cold and limp under the roost. I put him under my shirt, on my chest, so he could be comforted as he died.

Ten minutes later he peeped.

I put him and his siblings and broody in a brooder, protected from attacks.

A week or so later I observed the rooster attacking the chicks, with murderous intent. Samuel was removed from the equation, and this world.

The little chick survived, was a little slow but eventually caught up with his hatchmates.

See size difference?

When I had to choose which one to keep, I kept Little Chick (back right in the photo)

Meet Little Chick today, aka Zacchaeus.

I'm glad I comforted that little dying chick!