[Tony H]

Thankyou GrannyAnny for your advice, i went back on to the web this afternoon and found a few differing tempretures but as you pointed out the majority do say 35 -35.7 I just wish people who dont know the true facts didnt put it on the net as people like me take all the advice as gospel and belive it to be true, thats why i joined to get it right and not end up being by being kind.  

[GrannieAnnie]

Thanks Tony, we friends again?   Good!

Well no one is perfect.  I know I am far from it, but I have always tried to learn from the professionals.  Especially where the poultry is concerned.

I found the people at Hendrix Genetics really helpful.  they are now one of the biggest owners of the parent stocks of hybrids in the world.  They are based in the Netherlands, but their website is full of info if you have the time to look through it.  They own the parent stock of all the ISA, Bovans, Warrens, De kalbs, hi-sex and more hybrid laying hens.  I think they are into meat birds and pigs as well now.

Once I emailed them a question I had when I was worried about the smothering issue, and I got a lovely email back from one of the Mr Hendrix's himself.  We used to get all our day old chicks from one of their hatcheries, and it even got so if the hatchery had leftover chicks, rather than gas them all, they would phone up and ask if we had room to take some! lol

Unfortunately not everyone is like that.  They get a little bit of info from goodness knows where, and they suddenly become experts, and spread nonsense all over the internet, which confuses people.  But there are a lot of people on this forum who have been keeping poultry for many many years.  I've only been keeping them on and off for 16 years, but its only since 2007 when we started raising them from day old, then the year after got the incubator and suddenly everyone wanted laying hens!

All I can say is, like you are doing now, troll around the internet and books, don't just think everyone with a book or website knows what he's doing!  Good luck with your chooks!

[nic_28]

I used 2 plastic storage boxes for small numbers of chicks, easier to keep warm too until they get a little bigger!

very helpful thanks! I actually have storage boxes like these already, I have wire mesh, I oculd make a little mesh lid too. x

[GrannieAnnie]

Good luck with it nic!  In that little lampshade on my pictures, all I had was a red fireglow bulb.  I found with a partial lid on the box, that kept it just warm enough.  if I found they were too warm, I just raised the lamp a little.

If they crowd under the lamp and you think they are not warm enough at night, I used to put a news paper or an old towel over part of the mesh to keep the warmth in a bit more.

[nic_28]

Good luck with it nic!  In that little lampshade on my pictures, all I had was a red fireglow bulb.  I found with a partial lid on the box, that kept it just warm enough.  if I found they were too warm, I just raised the lamp a little.

If they crowd under the lamp and you think they are not warm enough at night, I used to put a news paper or an old towel over part of the mesh to keep the warmth in a bit more.

Excellent advice Grannie! I love this forum so much, everyone is so helpful. I shall of course post pictures on here to keep you all up to date with my new girls, and probably ask too many questions