During the week, we had six more cots hatch. Unfortunately, the last three had leg and foot problems. We have seen, in the past, that late hatchers have a higher percentage of leg problems. Two of the three died on their own. One had legs that stayed straight and had toes that wouldn’t uncurl. Because it couldn’t walk at all, I put it down.
It got colder during the week and the cots were huddling together directly under the lowest heat lamp. I got out a large galvanized wash tub and moved them into it. I used aluminum foil to cover most of the open top of the tub and lowered the heat lamp into the area that remained open. The cots seemed happy with that change, but I was concerned with risking their lives on the durability of a heat bulb.
The best solution was to bring the cots back into the basement. I set up an “under-the-bed” box with one of the infrared brooder plates at one end and a heat lamp over the either end. The cots have been quite happy and I can relax about their safety. As a bonus, their peeping is now calm and quiet enough that they don’t disturb our eldest offspring, whose bedroom is next to the room with the cots.
