Wool Hen

The first three days I took care of Chicky, the injured chick #5, she lived in a plastic tub with a desk lamp inside to keep her warm. Day one she lived in the barn and day two I moved her next to our house. I noticed that because of the light her sleep cycles were opposite what they should be. At night she was running around like crazy chasing bugs that were attracted to the light.

After some research on the internet I realized raising chicks under a lamp is not a great option. I found someone who made a "wool hen" for her chicks. That seemed like an excellent idea so I made one.

I used a cardboard box and duck taped styrofoam on the outside and then covered it with waterproof material from an old shopping bag and an old t-shirt. Anchored on top of the interior is wire mesh. Strips of wool hang from the mesh about one inch apart until they are about 1/2 inch from the bottom. The idea is this mimics what it would be like for the chick to sleep under a real hen. The wool and styrofoam trap heat and make a warm place for Chicky to sleep, without a lamp.

The first evening I put her inside the wool hen she loved it. Her chirps became more calm. The next few evenings, at dusk, she chirped very loud and I came to calm her until she went inside the wool hen. That lasted a few nights and now she puts herself to sleep.