Today I got a surprise when I went out. I thought I heard peeping and I was thinking well one more chick...and then looked in the nest when she got off and there were NINE chicks!
Unfortunately, she is in a community pen with several other chickens who killed her last chick so I had to get them out of there. I got my brooder, cleaned it out and then went looking for the brooder lights. I found two but only one worked. Unfortunately, you need a bulb that produces heat and the new bulbs don't really do that. I found one 60 watt one but it did not produce enough heat to get the brooder up to the 98 degrees that I needed (I would have settled for 95 if I could have gotten it but it wouldn't go past 85--not hot enough for the first couple weeks). So I Phil and I went to town and picked up a new light and bulb.
I had already realized by then that the big fish tank I had in the spare room would make a better (bigger) brooder. It didn't take long to put it all together when I got home and go get the chicks. The hen still has 4 eggs so I will have to watch in case she gets them to hatch.
Anyway, here are the new babies. They were very happy with the food and water as there was none in the nest box.
