Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[RubyNala97]

Hi, all! Haven't posted in a few weeks (chicks + 2 weimaraners +husband + full time job = one busy girl) Anyways, we're in a bit of a panic here. Our chicks have been doing well, but 99% of the time just hang out on top. They're 4 weeks old and have been outside since day 1 so they're pretty well feathered. Tonight, we went to do our nighttime check and they were all piled up in the corner!  They are acting like they are trying to get warm, but it's 50 degrees in the coop with MHP available- we tried to give them some encouragement to go in but we got SCOLDED. As soon as we leave, they pile up in the corner. They had been loose in the coop for a few days, so we tried putting the little walls back up to keep them closer to MHP and away from corners. Now they are just all piled against the wall. UGH. Chicks. 

It's thunder storming here- is this throwing them off or are they just trying to be a pain in my butt & make me miss my yoga class?  

Mine did this too! On the nights when I knew it was going to be very cold (in the 30's) I would go out after dark and one by one stick them under the mph and they would stay under. But I had to wait until they were in their sleepy daze first or I would get scolded too. About a week later, they gave up the mph all together and have been doing great! They are now 6 & 7 weeks old. They sleep in the coop at night, run around the run all day and are totally off heat. They are very playful and healthy.

 

[Blooie]

Sooooo- tell us how you really feel about Mama Heating Pad, Ruby! Teehee

 

[ShrekDawg]

Chickens moved out this morning! Will post pictures later. Gotta get 3 week pics but will tomorrow. I am thinking one or two is a roo. Bright shoulders.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I also raised MHP and the food and water. Rear of MHP is on one brick each corner, front is up on two bricks, so 6 total, and insulated back with hay and put another towel on top of the other so they can't eat it and.to make more of a cave. Also turned it up to 4 because it's colder out there (was 3) but may turn it back down since they are older. Need to maybe lift lip too, i think it hangs down too far and idk if they can get under. The waterer is now 3 bricks high instead of 2 and food is 2 high instead of 1. Water was a bit of a stretch and some flew up and others look confused so I added 2 brick halves to step up on 2 sides but they probably really don't even need it. Checked and all seemed happy. Later I will add a little fenced addition since it's still not a ton of space. But the square design instead of round allows me to put the food and water on one end so there is actual floor space now. Still need the addition though I feel since it's just a smallish temp thing (4x4 I think but maybe 4x3). Also going to try giving them outside time maybe starting tomorrow. It's getting a little cold now but they turned 3 weeks yesterday so I think they're old enough. I would sit with them too to make sure nothing got them an they didn't get out. I might put them in a pen. But dumb question: do they need their food and water outside? MHP? I assume probably water? But what about their actual food or MHP? I'm hoping they will forage, they've already been showing interest, and are they big enough to be without MHP a few hours or less?

 

[ShrekDawg]

It's so cold out there, at least to me, but chicks all seem perfectly happy so I guess it's okay. We'll see when it gets to the night. I lifted the towel up a big, there was no opening. Should be now. They seemed curious but didn't go under.

Also I know this is a MHP thread but they're still not.old enough to tell if they're roos yet right? The EEs have been the first to be more upright, first to feather out (even as younger chicks they developed their wing feathers first), and one's chest feathers were developing. Well now I'm noticing one is getting neck feathers in. Not sure if it's shoulder. Tail is also upright. One I thought was a roo appears to have a more flat tail so now idk. Both developed tails at the same time and.I thought both were upright but only one has a very upright one and red/orange neck feathers. I am hoping neither is a roo. Combs don't appear to be bigger. The BR I am not sure on. They are supposedly all females but I would be devastated if 3 of 8 turned out to be roos. I would be even if 1 did as I've gotten attached. We will see.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Okay so they seem to be enjoying it but they are piled up in a huge pile on the opposite corner from the heating pad, is that bad? They were on top of it the first time i went out (my mom had turned the light off a bunch so they were asleep but woke up from me checking on them with flashlight so i turned big light on at least 10-20 mins then went back out and sat with them a bit, etc. Etc. Then put flashlight on for 15 to let them go to bed) but now away from it. I worry. Especially with a real corner. The pool didn't have corners so maybe that is why but I have heard stories of suffocated chicks but have also heard 8 isn't enough pressure. Either way, it is COLD tonight and they have been in the house for 3 weeks so I am worried BUT I also have been hearing, from this very thread, that right around 3 to 4 weeks is when they start piling up away from the heat so maybe kind of bad timing to put them out there/kind of a bad time for them to choose not to go under their first night in the cold. But my dad says it's not that cold tonight so who knows. I guess that isbwhat feathers are for. And they sure do havr a lot. The EEs have big huge full wings already which is hilarious considering their body size.

Here they are though.

See?

In corner.

MHP over here.

 

[Beekissed]

Check to see if it's still on. If they are piling up it's because they are cold, not too hot and avoiding the HP.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Okay so they seem to be enjoying it but they are piled up in a huge pile on the opposite corner from the heating pad, is that bad? They were on top of it the first time i went out (my mom had turned the light off a bunch so they were asleep but woke up from me checking on them with flashlight so i turned big light on at least 10-20 mins then went back out and sat with them a bit, etc. Etc. Then put flashlight on for 15 to let them go to bed) but now away from it. I worry. Especially with a real corner. The pool didn't have corners so maybe that is why but I have heard stories of suffocated chicks but have also heard 8 isn't enough pressure. Either way, it is COLD tonight and they have been in the house for 3 weeks so I am worried BUT I also have been hearing, from this very thread, that right around 3 to 4 weeks is when they start piling up away from the heat so maybe kind of bad timing to put them out there/kind of a bad time for them to choose not to go under their first night in the cold. But my dad says it's not that cold tonight so who knows. I guess that isbwhat feathers are for. And they sure do havr a lot. The EEs have big huge full wings already which is hilarious considering their body size.

Here they are though.

See?

In corner.



MHP over here.

Honestly, when mine did this (way too young to be feathered out), I was worried enough that I just moved them under the heater (concerned that they wouldn't find it in the dark if they got cold). If I were you, this is what I'd do for tonight (so you can sleep without worry), and then rethink it in the morning. You won't hurt them by moving them under - if they're warm, they'll move out again and stretch themselves out at the opening. In my experience, they will pile for comfort or if frightened or unsure, even at 85F, and even at 8 weeks, so that doesn't necessarily mean they're cold.

If it's going to be very cold and you just moved them, I'd move them under the MHP, for my own peace of mind... (So you won't feel like you have to keep checking on them.)

Just IMHO...

- Ant Farm

 

[ShrekDawg]

Check to see if it's still on.  If they are piling up it's because they are cold, not too hot and avoiding the HP. 

I checked when I was out there and the.light was still but couldn't see the numbers from outside and didn't think to check when i was inside with them. I will check but I think it is still on and pretty warm though not sure how warm underneath.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Honestly, when mine did this (way too young to be feathered out), I was worried enough that I just moved them under the heater (concerned that they wouldn't find it in the dark if they got cold). If I were you, this is what I'd do for tonight (so you can sleep without worry), and then rethink it in the morning. You won't hurt them by moving them under - if they're warm, they'll move out again and stretch themselves out at the opening. In my experience, they will pile for comfort or if frightened or unsure, even at 85F, and even at 8 weeks, so that doesn't necessarily mean they're cold.

If it's going to be very cold and you just moved them, I'd move them under the MHP, for my own peace of mind... (So you won't feel like you have to keep checking on them.)

Just IMHO...

- Ant Farm

Yeah, I mean, I don't want to bug them and.wake them again but I am definitely worried so I think I will try to move them under. Though when I tried to show them earlier they all ran out. When they were younger they mostly stayed and I could catch most before they ran out but now they're out. Maybe will try grabbing them as a pile. But yeah, they actually started the pile when I was out there and then in it so maybe they were scared of me and then just liked the pile. Although they did move around then go back to it so I don't know.

But yeah, I will try to stick them back under it and see how it goes