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

Tacampbell1973 · Jul 22, 2016

Hi Blooey,
What is this Cave you speak of? Do I need one in Washington? we usually dont get to cold here, no lower than 25 degrees and not every year. Also I try to not have chicks in winter, but you know that canbe...something about the best laid plans...take care and keep warm.

bruceha2000 · Jul 22, 2016

Tacampbell1973 said:
Hi Blooey,
What is this Cave you speak of? Do I need one in Washington? we usually dont get to cold here, no lower than 25 degrees and not every year. Also I try to not have chicks in winter, but you know that canbe...something about the best laid plans...take care and keep warm.

The "cave" IS the Mama Heating Pad Brooder. Yes you need one in Washington, and everywhere else for day old chicks. They will come and go into the cave to warm up just like they do with a hen.

Go read through the first few pages and you will see descriptions of how to build it. Essentially is is a frame (usually wire fencing because people might have some around) or a piece of wire shelving, etc. The ones made of wire fencing are "moldable/smooshable" the flat racks need some sort of support. Lower in the back, higher in the front, the LONG side open. You don't want a deep cave. Strap a heating pad (that DOES NOT have an auto off feature, or if it does have that, it has a way to turn OFF that feature so the pad stays on 24x7) to the underside of the frame. Encase it in a pillowcase so the chicks can't get between the pad and the frame. Air temp inside the cave is UNIMPORTANT, they warm up by snuggling their backs up against the pad. You know it is too hot if they never go in the cave, too cold if they never come out. "Just right" is when they play outside the cave, eat, drink and go back in occasionally to warm up. And if the temp is right, they will sleep in it at night, just like they sleep under mama hen's wings.

plynneb · Jul 23, 2016

Here are some better pictuers, I put a light out there while I'm running the power cord for the heating pad.

I'm in love with this system. They pop in and out of the cave as the see fit but with it being so warm they are out more than not right now.

bruceha2000 · Jul 23, 2016

How high is that cave @plynneb ? And how warm in the brooder area? It seems really high for the chicks to get heat off the pad unless there are a LOT of shavings under there.

Blooie · Jul 23, 2016

Tacampbell1973 said:
Hi Blooey,
What is this Cave you speak of? Do I need one in Washington? we usually dont get to cold here, no lower than 25 degrees and not every year. Also I try to not have chicks in winter, but you know that canbe...something about the best laid plans...take care and keep warm.

The "cave" is just the frame that supports the heating pad. It can be made of almost anything that allows the pad to come into contact with the chicks - shelving, old bits of fencing, hardware cloth, flattened tomato cages....as long as the pad can be draped over it or attached to the underside with bungee cords, it's all good. You can make it open like a shelf so they can go in from front or back, or you can close off all three sides, leaving the front open with an "awning" as I did on the first page of the thread. If you have chicks, you need something for warmth. They don't have feathers for insulation, and they can't regulate their own body heat. But you can adjust the heat with the heating pad and by raising or lowering the frame to give them just what they need. The pad doesn't warm the entire brooder - it's not supposed to. It's job is just to warm the chicks. You definitely need to keep them warm.

@mypolitedog Bruce is absolutely right - they are not going to use the heating pad if they get too warm under it. That can lead to another problem - if they avoid it because it's too hot, they can get a chill because they aren't using it. Now, that said, at 11 days old they aren't going to rely on it nearly as much as much younger chicks. Ideally they should run under it for a quick warm-up or if something scares them, then come back out after a little bit and continue exploring. They'll spend time up there napping, playing King of the Mountain, or just contentedly surveying their domain if they have that bit of towel or something on top to keep it from getting too warm. And having them snuggle beside it isn't unusual, either. Ignore what you've read about them needing constant heat from a glaring light and focus on all the photos you've seen of chicks under Mama Hen. THAT'S what we are after - a soft, dark, warm place for them to go yet a whole, cooler environment in the rest of the brooder for them to get used to ambient temperatures. It's not unusual for a broody hen to let her chicks wander around when it's really cold - like with snow on the ground cold - and they do! They run all over the place. But they return to her and she covers them or lets them sit on her when they get cold.

mypolitedog · Jul 23, 2016

I'm still trying to find out the best setting for my girls who are now 12 days old. Does it make sense to turn it down during the hot day temps (96+) and up overnight (65+)? Last night I left it on 3.

Blooie · Jul 23, 2016

At 11 days and nighttime temps in the 65 degree range I think you can turn it down to 2 and just leave it. They should be fine. By 2 weeks old my pad is down to 3 and that's in daytime temps in the 30s and 40s, with nighttime temps in the teens and twenties. Now, that said, ignore me and watch your chicks. They'll tell you if they are doing well.

plynneb · Jul 23, 2016

bruceha2000 said:
How high is that cave @plynneb
? And how warm in the brooder area? It seems really high for the chicks to get heat off the pad unless there are a LOT of shavings under there.

There are tons of shavings in there and it is built up so they can get in there and snuggle their backs in there. I check every time I go in to make sure they haven't kicked them out.