I moved the 8 week old chicks out to the small pen today. The ducklings are supposed to hatch next week and I need the room in the nursery for them.
The days have been lovely and warm, but the nights are getting cold. So we ran a power cord to the small pen and hung a 100 watt light bulb. When I went to check at 6pm the kids were still hanging in the yard. They know how to get into the hutch, though, so I'm hoping that they have some survival sense and go upstairs for the night.
Egg production is down. I'm getting 4 eggs a day from the hens, and one from the ducks. The Welsummers still aren't laying, and neither are the Americaunas.
The chicks I raised from eggs think I am mama, and they follow me all around the yard. Until they run into Maybelline, the Great Pyr. Then they head back to the house.
Today we were all hanging around in the yard, and Inky the black cat was sneaking on a hen. She turned around and pecked him but good. Ink retreated. Far. Score one for the chicken.
I put extra straw in the duck house, added some pine shavings to the other houses, and plugged in the lights. I expect if we all survive the winter we will have fabulous egg production in the spring.
Is the light bulb in the run or in the house? If it is in the run the chicks will linger where there is light, if it is in the house and you want it to keep them warm it is best to A. paint it red, (you don't want them to mature too quickly) or get a red light bulb, and B. wait until they have gone to roost and are shut in and then turn it on, if there is any light being shed in the run they will hang around.
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