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

[Coop de Grass]

I use a bird bath deicer, and that was the advice I got!

 

[bruceha2000]

@bruceha2000 The hen that attacked the chick hadn't had her chicks hatch yet, so I thought it was odd that she would attack like that? But maybe not? The other hens, broodies and non-broodies couldn't have cared less about the other chicks being around, just that one hen, it was weird. I just made a judgement call I guess

The other hen that was on the floor let those two chicks crawl all over her, even perch on her back, so I thought it was a character flaw (or whatever you call it lol) with that one hen?

eta-that hen was CRAZY to anyone that got near her, humans and other chickens, she would puff up and growl, even took after my daughter when she was collecting eggs. The others just weren't like that??

I can't say what goes on in a little chicken brain

When my girls go broody, some will scream at me. We have no rooster so they are trying to hatch plastic eggs and when I take those out they are trying to hatch pine shavings. But of course one never knows if a girl is laying an egg or going broody. Once I decide they are broody THEY know I know and they know their next several days will be spent in the broody buster up on the roosts.

I know that some people collect eggs out from under hens and sometimes have to deal with getting pecked at, sometimes hard. But if your hen was puffing and growling at people even when she wasn't sitting eggs or laying, I have to agree you had a mad hen on your hands. Definitely don't want your kids fearing a trip to the coop.

@Blooie Can't wait to see your babies! How nice of your postmistress to go the extra mile for you That takes a load off your mind I'm sure! Incubating and hatching eggs totally intrigues me! My mom bought an incubator and we talked about doing that, but chose to go the other way this time, BUT I will hatch my own one day

I have a feeling that with these chicks coming in a few weeks that I am going to officially have an addiction LOL! Keeping it under control though

The USPS folks in the small offices often go the extra mile (1.6 km). I don't know that the ones in the huge offices have the time.

 

[MesMama]

I can't say what goes on in a little chicken brain

When my girls go broody, some will scream at me. We have no rooster so they are trying to hatch plastic eggs and when I take those out they are trying to hatch pine shavings. But of course one never knows if a girl is laying an egg or going broody. Once I decide they are broody THEY know I know and they know their next several days will be spent in the broody buster up on the roosts.

I know that some people collect eggs out from under hens and sometimes have to deal with getting pecked at, sometimes hard. But if your hen was puffing and growling at people even when she wasn't sitting eggs or laying, I have to agree you had a mad hen on your hands. Definitely don't want your kids fearing a trip to the coop.


The USPS folks in the small offices often go the extra mile (1.6 km). I don't know that the ones in the huge offices have the time.

Oh the broody buster! Yes, THAT is a job now. One of my hens would NOT give it up last fall. For 3 months that hen wanted to go broody, I sought out feedback here on BYC and chose to just keep breaking her. The thought of her hatching chicks in the dead of winter just scared me. Maybe as I get more experience with chickens I would let her?? I went back and forth thinking, okay maybe she knows best? She knows winter is coming, maybe I just need to trust her instincts? Again, judgement call LOL!

 

[Blooie]

OOoooohhhhhh, this is so exciting, everyone getting baby chicks...uber-fun!!

I wanted to post about another possible HUGE advantage to the MHP, having to do with chicken crops >>>

Yesterday I thought one of my two-week old chick's crop was unusually big. This led me to do all kinds of crop research cause I AM really new at this...so I learned a lot about crops:

Chickens are supposed to fill them up (sometimes quickly and rather early in the morning) and then the crop empties along the day and often mostly overnight. So the only way to get a good read is to check and see if they are empty the next morning before they eat. If they are eating all the time, there isn't really a great way to figure this out....

Hmmm, methinks, this sounds like even MORE reason to establish the day/night cycle. Otherwise chicks are eating 24/7 and maybe never fully emptying crops.

Sooooo....chickies were under MHP all night for second night. No peeping, lol. I went to "wake them up" and removed food tray. I got the six baby girls out and checked each, front and rear...guess what? All crops were empty.

They are eating away happily right now with a relieved new chickie

mommy (me).

So many times the thread gets to whirring along and I don't always see every post. But this was pointed out to me and I thought it should be brought forward.

I have always said that one of the big advantages to MHP was that the chicks sleep at night, all night, and aren't eating around the clock. I have to be honest and say that I've never thought too much past that.....I know that I have very little pasty butt in chicks I raise this way but I can't conclusively state that it's the eating. Some think that overheating has more to do with pasty butt. Me? I'm convinced that the combination of overheating AND eating all of the time when their little digestive systems are just learning what eating is could well be the culprit.

I must add that I've never had a crop issue in a chick or an adult so I just don't feel qualified to credit Mama Heating Pad with preventing them. We are all pretty careful not to assign any medical miracle claims to this system, aside from those we observe for ourselves, such as faster feathering and calmer chicks. So while it would be common sense to connect crops that are never empty with crop problems I just don't know how we could go about proving it. Ideas anyone?

 

[OurBackyardFarm]

So these are our first chicks, I made the MHP last night. They have not been inside it. I came up to check them because it's getting dark and I figured they would be settling for the night. They were all huddled in a corner. Under the MHP it's 86 + degrees and ambient temp upstairs is 76. I would assume that if they are cold, they will go inside right? My daughter and I have put them in a couple times. It's almost like they don't get it, but again maybe they just don't want to go in?

 

[Blooie]

First thing I'd do is turn the heat down a notch if you can. The room seems plenty warm. Then you might want to wait to give it time to cool off...maybe 15 minutes or so, then put them in, hold your hands in front so they can't get out, and wait for those little "Churling" sounds when they start to settle down. Also if you have a light on in there, turn it off so they are resting in total darkness. Let me know if that helped.....

 

[OurBackyardFarm]

@Blooie Ooooooooh my gooooodnesss!!!! It worked!!!

Thank you so much! I never considered that it might be too warm or to try it with the lights out!! I don't have the numbers on my heating pad, I did turn it down to medium though. They are all snuggled in and out for the night (I hope!), genius! I assume if they are too warm, they will get out? Right?

 

[mobius]

I had to scoot mine under too, like twice, and turn off the light. They will self-regulate, yes...no problem...

Seems like they are quick to learn! It is a whole new world for them, I have to keep reminding myself!

Blooie is quite correct! Glad it is working for you...

 

[OurBackyardFarm]

I had to scoot mine under too, like twice, and turn off the light. They will self-regulate, yes...no problem...


Seems like they are quick to learn! It is a whole new world for them, I have to keep reminding myself!

Blooie is quite correct! Glad it is working for you...

It really is a new world for them!! And this whole thing is a new world for me as well! I grew up on a small dairy farm but I was always scared of the chickens. Lol When my husband suggested getting chickens, I refused. Haha. I was mostly against it until we went and picked them up. Lol. Since the first night, I have been in love.

 

[Blooie]

@Blooie Ooooooooh my gooooodnesss!!!! It worked!!!

Thank you so much! I never considered that it might be too warm or to try it with the lights out!! I don't have the numbers on my heating pad, I did turn it down to medium though. They are all snuggled in and out for the night (I hope!), genius! I assume if they are too warm, they will get out? Right?

Oh, I'm so glad! Did you hear the little chick purrs coming out of there? That's almost my favorite part of this whole thing. I never heard my first batch of chicks do that under the heat lamp, but I've heard it with every batch since then. They are literally purring with contentment as they go to sleep.

It's funny, isn't it, how we become so used to hearing and reading that our chicks are going to die within minutes if that temperature isn't 95 in the brooder the first week, 90 the second, and so on. Yet these little guys prove them wrong over and over again. I didn't even know what the temp was under my brooder until @azygous asked me one day so I put a thermometer in there. Turns out that in a 69 degree room the temp under the pad was only 82.5 degrees - and they were as content as can be. Had been for days. So let your chicks "talk" to you...learn to read their cheeps and chirps and behaviors. That was hard for me at first - I was sure I knew what was best for them and they just had to eat and grow up. Once I let them take the lead, things got so much easier on them and on me!

If they start to get too warm, they will wander toward the front of the cave, or even decide to sleep on top. From this point on nothing they do will surprise you! Well, except for how calm and strong they grow and how fast they feather out! You've got this!!