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

[Fire Ant Farm]

Sorry if this has been asked already and I missed it, but I'm wondering how many chicks will fit comfortably under the MHP? I have the Sunbeam XL 12" x 24" with the auto off as recommended. I am expecting 25 to be shipped this week... Temps are predicted to be 75-80 degrees during the day and in the mid 50's-low 60's overnight. These chicks will be shipped at 1 day old, so they may be 3 days old by the time I receive them.

If anyone can tell me if 1 MHP will work I'd really appreciate it.

thanks

I personally have found that two 12x15 ones side by side making a big MHP work well for that many (I have done 25 with the MHP multiple times). That adds up to 12x30 - so it may work (esp. if it's not super cold). The nice thing is that with that many chicks, they get a lot of body heat form each other, so there's often less risk of chilling compared to small batches.

Make it 12 deep and 24 across the arch, and with that many, make sure there's space behind it of them to get out.

 

[Blooie]

The most I've done is I think 17. I was concerned that if I had too many, some of the smaller ones might get smothered or something, especially since I'm still old school and like mine set up in more of a cave than open on both ends.

And first day of open portals went pretty well. Tank, our big Light Brahma, was amazing with them. She actually hovered over them, watching them. No aggression whatsoever on the part of any of the hens. We did have one issue, though. I knew there would be, and this one was my own fault.

There's a space between the side of the run and the side of the brooder pen. I like it that way because the Bigs can actually walk all the way around and see the chicks from three sides. But normally when I open the portals, I block that off. It's almost impossible to get a chick out of there if she goes between the two pens. The brooder pen touches the curve of the arched run all the way across at the top edge, but there's about 10 inches or so at the bottom. Well, I didn't block it. And sure enough one little Silkie went back there. Um, yeah. That was fun! The portals were open but she'd get super close to the opening and then dart back behind. <sigh> Not enough room to go back and get her. Not enough room to kinda shove a persuader in there and push her out. So I waited. And waited. I finished up the work I was doing in the coop while keeping an eye and an ear out. She really started squawking. Some of the others were standing on the inside of the brooder and she could see them but not get to them and she was getting frantic. The hardware cloth goes up about 2 feet, and it's wired in place, so there was nothing I could do but keep waiting. Finally I spotted a bamboo plant support and I took that and went into the run. I stuck it between the bars of the run, kinda pushing her toward the main part of the run. Then I'd have to pull it out and reposition it to push her a little farther. And at long last, she popped back in! Yayy!

The photos, as requested....not all of them came out, and not all of the Bigs came in, but that's fine.


The portal is open but no takers yet.


One brave little Blue Silkie tried first.


She scoped it out.


And decided it was worth the risk.


She and Tank encourage the others.


Tank showing the chick where there was still some scratch. Had to be what she was doing.....there were a few grains of it there and she kept pecking at it until the chick found it.


Tank, on guard as the other Bigs started wandering in.


And another brave little one tries her luck.


And then another Blue.....


In the end not all of them came out, but I was still pretty happy.


Good old Gladys...she was in our first batch of chicks and is still here, still laying, and still being a calm flock member.



And there's little Dummy, over on the other side of the pen between the run and the brooder wire.

 

[lpyrbby]

I put my chicks out in the in-coop brooder a week ago. They're 4 weeks old now. The coop mates are 17 weeks and include 4 incredibly randy cockerels that we're hoping to cull soon. (I am SO ready because they are giving my adult ladies hell when I let them out in the evenings to range!)

I want to try letting them out, but I'm terrified lol. I can sit there with them to monitor things, but still. Also, once we process the cockerels, we'll be moving the 8 adult ladies into the big coop with the 6 near POL pullets. Once all this integration happens and we get past this, I should be a in a much better spot to integrate earlier and easier.

I commend you Blooie!

 

[chickensarenew]

Does this look good and critiques of the mhp? Chicks should be here any day this week

 

[lazy gardener]

Littles are learning how to use the ramp to their lower level run. I had to round them up and put them back in the loft tonight b/c we were leaving to run an errand. Hopefully, I'll be able to leave them to fend for themselves tomorrow night and find their way back to bed at dusk.

 

[dawnd13]

I put my chicks out in the new coop a couple of weeks ago and had them separated from my two big girls. I took out the fence this week so they are all together now all the time. Last night I moved the big girls into the new coop with the new chicks that are now at 9 and 8 weeks old. All went well and everyone was fine this morning. I was also able to get the big girls to lay in the new nesting boxes by putting them in there. The bigs still try to nip at the chicks if they get too close, but all has been good so far. I'm waiting to see where the bigs try to sleep tonight. I hope they go into the new coop but if not I will put them in after dark again. I have the automatic door opener working which is the best thing ever!

I'm not sure if the MHP made the difference in my chicks this time, but this was the easiest process I have had yet and will never go back to that nasty red bulb. My chicks are calm and love being outside and have made the transition with no issues.

 

[Blooie]

I put my chicks out in the new coop a couple of weeks ago and had them separated from my two big girls. I took out the fence this week so they are all together now all the time. Last night I moved the big girls into the new coop with the new chicks that are now at 9 and 8 weeks old. All went well and everyone was fine this morning. I was also able to get the big girls to lay in the new nesting boxes by putting them in there. The bigs still try to nip at the chicks if they get too close, but all has been good so far. I'm waiting to see where the bigs try to sleep tonight. I hope they go into the new coop but if not I will put them in after dark again. I have the automatic door opener working which is the best thing ever!

I'm not sure if the MHP made the difference in my chicks this time, but this was the easiest process I have had yet and will never go back to that nasty red bulb. My chicks are calm and love being outside and have made the transition with no issues.

Yep!

 

[DonnaFreak]

Howdy y'all.

I went out to the coop tonight at dusk. It was 74 degrees out then, and is only going to go down to 69 tonight. Of my eight chicks, six of them were on top, and two of my bantams were underneath the MHP, but were snuggled down into the shavings in the doorway. I already had the heating pad turned down to 4, but since no one seemed to want to be too close to the heat, I took the plunge and turned it down to 3. I hope I did the right thing. It's supposed to get into the upper 80's tomorrow, then drop down in the 50's tomorrow night. The forcast for next week is saying that we'll have high temps anywhere from the low 60's to low 70's, with lows in the upper 40's to low 50's...so I may end up turning it back up if the chicks seem chilled. Do you all raise or lower the temps of the heating pad according to the outside temps, or do you just leave it on one setting depending on how feathered out they are? My chicks will be 2 weeks old on Monday, and are already getting their wing and tail feathers. Those little butt feathers just slay me!

Donna

 

[Blooie]

They are acclimating very well, Donna. You should be really proud of yourself!

 

[dawnd13]

Big girls laid in the new coop but went back to the old coop to sleep. I went out about 20 minutes ago and the door just shut on the new coop, so I moved the big girls over to the new coop to sleep. The old coop comes out of the run tomorrow so we'll see what happens tomorrow night. At least all is calm when I put them in with the little girls.