On 04-02-97  14:02, As Birdman passed the soap to Liz Morris.....
Hello,
  Your message was VERY informative and THANKS.
 LM> missed their mother...  I put a wind-up clock in their cage and they
 LM> imediately quieted down and went to sleep.. Could the ticking of the
 LM> clock remind them of their mother's heartbeat?  I read somewhere that
 LM> this is true... anyway, it worked for ME and i finally got some rest...
 Bi> Just got some new chicks myself, 25 of them - Buff Orpingons and 
 Bi> Partridge Rocks. (Well, 27 if you count the bonus chicks the hatchery
 Bi> threw  in.)  
How nice....bonus chicks... mine are Rhode Island Reds and White Leghorns.
Not fancy, just layers.
 Bi> stays hot that  long without a heat source and because it's not good to
 Bi> leave chicks totally  without light for too long. 
THIS i didn't know even though i've raised chicks before... mine are in a
cage in the back porch near a water heater  and the
clothes dryer and so the back porch doesn't get very cold... i have a 100
watt light near their cage and the back and sides of their cage covered.. the
light is on all night and part of the morning.  It seems to be working well.
Bi>  That the chicks quiet down when you hold them is more a sign that 
 Bi> cnicks aren't warm enough.  The warmth of your hand is enough to
 Bi> settle them. Chicks tire quickly and easily and all the running around
 Bi> wears them out.  A  source of warmth, such as your hand is just enough
 Bi> to let the tired take  over. 
And here i thought they were just missing their mother... its amazing how 
hey
are out like a light the very second i hold them...  I am afraid that they'll
get TOO warm if i move the light any closer... i guess i should get a 
different set-up then...
 Bi> naturally quieter.  If the heat  source you're using is a white light
 Bi> and that's keeping them awake all night,  you may try going to a red
 Bi> light source (infra-red) and then using a much  smaller light source
 Bi> (15w or so) as a night light to prevent piling and  picking.
And THIS i'm going to try...i hope they are doing just this...
Take care..
Liz
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
--- QScan/PCB v1.19b / 01-0154
---------------