Raising Off Grid Homestead Chicks & Ducklings With No Power

How to care for chicks: http://www.thedoityourselfworld.com/articles/article.php?id=11301

I am currently raising chicks and ducklings in my tiny house on wheels with no power at all. This is unusual and requires a bit of adjustment but it is possible and brings lots of enjoyment from raising the little birds.

My friend wanted to give a chicken and a duck to his son for Easter but the minimum quantity TSC sells is 6 each. So I ended up with some extra Silkie chicks and a couple ducklings.

I have never raised ducks before myself. We had them when I was a kid but I dont remember much about that time.

I had no idea how messy ducklings can be. Chicks are messy but ducks make them look like little angels in comparison. Ducklings make a mess of everything. You give them water and they will splash it out all over the place immediately.

I had the ducks and chicks together and had to separate them after the second day. The chicks were getting filthy from the ducks.

So I build a little platform for the ducks and put that in a plastic container filled with water. Now the ducks can play in the water all they want and go up on the platform to dry off and sleep when needed.

I serve their food on the platform but they mess it up immediately.

The silkies are happy, dry and warm now in their new home. They have constant water and food. Plus they have fresh, dry bedding.

Chicks and ducklings will let you know how they feel. They can communicate with you if you listen.

When chicks are too hot they spread out all over and lay sprawled out. If they are way too hot they will cry and peep loudly.

If the chicks are too cold they will huddle in the corner together and peep loudly.

They peep loudly if hungry, thirsty or the litter needs changing as well.

When they are happy they make a light happy peeping sound.

I am also working on my tiny chicken house on wheels again. It has been raining so the progress is slow but I am working at it slowly. I have some of the chicken wire on it so far. I hope to finish it soon but the rain has been pretty steady for days. You just cant work with wet wood.

Follow my daily progress on the path to self sufficiency on my off grid solar homestead.
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