We don't have electricity and I am wondering how to get baby chicks without it. I know that people had chickens before electricity, but in the age of heat lamps I don't know how. Your help would be most apprecitated. Thanks.

-- Leslie Bachner (dblebach@hotmail.com), June 03, 2000

Answers

I have seen a nonelectric incubator using kerosene. This was an antique, so don't know if they are still made.

-- R. (thor610@yahoo.com), June 03, 2000.

How about letting the hens brood the eggs naturally. I use both methods,don't get as many chicks with the hens,but they don't require electric.

-- Daryll (twincrk@hotmail.com), June 03, 2000.

Leslie: Guess we need some more info, i.e. are you planning on getting chicks soon? Already have chickens? Planning on keeping them over the winter? What area do you live in? I suppose you could use something like a kerosene heater, but that would involve some risk, and I'm not sure burning the chicken house, or whatever other building you are going to brood them in, is worth it. Maybe getting some a little older would be an option, where they don't need the supplemental heat? More info, and maybe someone can give you a better answer. Thanks! Jan

-- Jan B (Janice12@aol.com), June 03, 2000.

There used to be a warmer for brooding houses that one would put hot coals into on the bottom, and it provided radiant heat for most of a day. If you were to get chicks in the Summer, they wouldn't require much heat, esp. if you got 25 or so and they could huddle up together. You could brood them inside, near the stove or something, until they were a month old, then they would be fine outside. Where are you?

-- Rachel (rldk@hotmail.com), June 03, 2000.

Hi Leslie. I have electricity, but I wanted to go the same route you are looking into (a 250watt lamp uses alot of electricity). I live in southern PA, so we get some pretty cold weather. I received my chicks on Easter weekend. I kept them in the house in a box (temps from 60- 70F) until they were completely feathered out. When feathered out, they were moved to the coop, where I had prepared a section for them (make sure they have all or most of their feathers before moving them to an unheated bldg). They have done fine and they were in an unheated coop on nights of less than 30 degrees F. On really cold nights I placed either bricks heated in the oven and wrapped in a towel or a soda bottle filled with hot water for them to huddle against. So when someone tells you that you HAVE to have a heat lamp and a temp of 90 degrees, they are full of it! Here is a good websight which has a small article on raising chicks without electricity; http://www.manytracks.com/ Look under homesteading for chicken articles. Good Luck and God Bless!

-- mike (mleeyworm@juno.com), June 04, 2000.

Somewhere (can't remember where) I saw plans for an unheated -- but well-insulated -- brooder box. As I recall, there was an insulated, un-lit side with a low ceiling and a curtain to keep most of the body heat in, and an open side (keep drafts out) to put the food and water in. I think each side was three or four feet square, and probably the ceiling in the warm side was only eight inches. I would keep such a contraption in the house in cold weather, or if you get the chicks when the weather is reliably warm, you could put them in an unheated building -- just make sure no weasels, coons, etc., can get in, as they will do in a whole batch of baby chicks in very short order. In cold weather, the idea someone mentioned of a heated brick or hot water bottle might be a really good idea, too. Just try to imitate the mother chicken as much as possible -- but better!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), June 05, 2000.

Hi Leslie, We just bought a propane brooder for piglets, you might find something similar for chicks. WE don't have electricity either and we bought 25 chicks. We are now down to 10. They were doing great for 2 weeks beside the woodstove in a box, but once they got bigger we had to move them into something bigger that's when the problems stareted. We must have moved them into a cage that was too big and they all went to one corner and suffocated each other. Then some got pasted vent because they were just cold. So my advice is too keep them warm beside the woodstove and don't let them get a draft and make sure you give them ample room to run around but not too big that they get cold.

-- megan milliken (millikenfarm@telus.net), June 05, 2000.

Hi Leslie, We are on solar, which means I can't run a light blub all night. I have a small pen built with pallets. It is about 3 x 8. Last year, I got some chicks that were a few weeks old. I put some tin over the 1/2 the pen and on the other half I covered it with fencing. There is also tin down the inside walls. Under the tin roofed side I put a brick in the middle of the floor. Then I used an oil burning lantern in the middle of the brick. I left it there a few weeks. Chicks never could knock it over. Worked great. Lantern can also be suspended from the tin. The chicks huddled around it for warmth and I didn't lose any to cold.

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@calinet.com), June 05, 2000.

I know this wasn't exactly what you asked, but I leave hens sit on Easter eggs (light colored ones only) When I know they are broody, I get day old chicks (I know I have 30 days if I want to mail order) and slip them under the hen at night. I lock them in a really, small area with food and water for a few days. The hen accepts the chicks and the chicks love their new Mom. I add different chickens to my flock this way. Right now, I have two Bantams caring for Barred Rocks.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), June 05, 2000.