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Well... they're meant to sooth aching muscles and such, not cook an egg

Smart move. I, too, like to start exposing them to the dirt early to get that immune system working and optimize the gut microbes. :)

Yup mine hit 3 weeks yesterday and I am planning to slide it down a notch to Low when I clean the brooder today. They are almost fully feathered and I don't want them being too hot, which does sounds silly when its in the 30's out but you know what I mean! No problem with that. I do like to...

I was thinking recently that a neat invention would be a recording of a mama hen cluck clucking that would automatically play in response to the sound of chicks crying out. Place it near the MHP and oila! lol It's funny how some babies are hardwired to respond to certain sounds like that.

I usually block them off for a few days, with food and water pretty much right outside of the MHP.

lol that's why I don't post many pictures of my actual setups in place. I have an outdoor brooder coop, and I swear its clean, but in pictures it just looks like messy straw and feed is scattered all about and oh look there's so poo that somehow got splattered on the wall... basically a rest...

I just got around to checking the link. That's a pretty nice setup! I don't have a wood shop though so I always have to set up my saws and such out on the deck and the weather isn't right for that right now, but I'll consider it once spring finally comes around. I hope someday I'll have a...

I keep piling straw on top and they keep kicking all off and I try to tell them I'm just trying to help them stay warm but they don't seem to care

I use hay alone, no cloths or anything. The heating pad is plastic and any poop bakes and flakes off lol. Any left can be wiped clean. The reason they come cloth covered is for our comfort and also because we have bare skin. You'd end up with the same effect as leather seats on a hot day when...

You have to be in the computer or using the desktop version (not mobile version) on your phone. You'll see the album of all the pictures in the thread to the right of the thread.

That's faster but still not fast! I did that the other day to try to find the cookie rack pictures from a week ago and wow "picture heavy" is an understatement since you have to start oldest to newest!

No need for a wrench, I just use my fingers. To make adjustments, just hold both nuts and turn the bolt (instead of turning each nut individually). I didn't think to look at carriage bolts; I suppose the rounded heads wouldn't be significantly less sturdy. Now that I actually have the bolts I...

Mine have been on medium in their outdoor brooder with nights in the teens and are doing fine. I usually turn it down once I notice they are spending more time on top or only partly underneath it.

Inspired by a poster a few days ago, I decided to modify my MHP In a way that was a bit easier to adjust that just the hardwire. I have a lot of chicks right now (50 + 42 more coming next week) but I use the smaller pads since I like the slide control and not having to worry about turning off...

This reminds me of the comment of a woman on the BYC Facebook group yesterday. Someone suggested the heating pad and she said she had one get cooked to death underneath it and it traumatized her and she'd never use it again. I suspect what really happened is the chick died for another reason...

I don't keep silkies, but the majority of my "home-grown" chicken meat comes from bantams, since that is what I mainly keep. Before I butchered my first batch, I was unsure it was even worth it until someone pointed out that people eat quail and dove and such and those are much tinier. I...

I would guess those are about 8.5x11 like a sheet of paper, but the pad is 12x15.

That is what I would use (I use it in the coops, after all) but this time of year there isn't a whole lot of it available. I'm even going to have to break down and get a bale of hay to put in the run.

I don't know if I should be proud that you kicked the habit, or feel sad for you. lol

My chicks are 4-5 weeks and not even sleeping under their mama anymore. Our temps are similar. You can definitely lower it, especially if they are staying close to the front.