advice needed

[Aunt Angus]

I just put my whole brooder into my coop. I used a heating pad (a DIY MHP). My coop is solar powered. I just left the brooder open so they could get in and out. They slept on top of the MHP, but they didn't use it at all during the day. I kept them in there from week 2. It wasn't cold then (it was in the 90's here), but the MHP would have kept them plenty warm.

I loved the MHO, but I am intrigued by the wool hen....

 

[EggWalrus]

I just put my whole brooder into my coop. I used a heating pad (a DIY MHP). My coop is solar powered. I just left the brooder open so they could get in and out. They slept on top of the MHP, but they didn't use it at all during the day. I kept them in there from week 2. It wasn't cold then (it was in the 90's here), but the MHP would have kept them plenty warm.

I loved the MHO, but I am intrigued by the wool hen....

The Wool Momma works! And it doesn't take any electricity,. It's not a substitute for having a real Broody Momma, but it's the next best thing. Without a well trained Momma, the babies grow up feral, sorta like "Lord of the Flys". It's weird, if I let a good well heeled Momma raise the babies they usually turn out to be good birds (even the little roos after puberty), but the ones that raise themselves, they turn into little monsters that get in your trucks, poo on your cars, poo on the porches, get in the road, take off down the road, want to sleep in trees, like fighting and will try to steal hens from other tribes. I honestly think that a good well behaved momma hen puts the fear of god (with a little g, i.o.w. me) in those little chickens because most of them take little instruction to become good birds.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sounds pretty awesome! If I ever get more chicks, I will give one a try! My girls are very well behaved, honestly. I guess I was lucky! The only thing they did that was "bad" was jump on the patio furniture. But I got them to stop that last week by scaring them off. They haven't done it since.

I would LOVE to have a broody raise a clutch - nothing cuter than a mama with chickies under her skirt - but I just cannot have roosters and breeding going on. I would have to plan it carefully to make sure they would have homes.

 

[aart]

Apologies to @mamamage for diverting your thread, but.....

I used a heating pad (a DIY MHP). My coop is solar powered.

What kind of solar setup do you have that will run a heating pad?
@Aunt Angus maybe you could start a new thread detailing your solar system, many people would be interested in that.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Apologies to @mamamage for diverting your thread, but.....

What kind of solar setup do you have that will run a heating pad?
@Aunt Angus maybe you could start a new thread detailing your solar system, many people would be interested in that.

I actually have self-contained solar system that I received as part of a project that my students did a few years back where they assembled what is called a "Solar Suitcase" in partnership with SunPower (https://wecaresolar.org/resources/we-care-solar-suitcase/)

I'd love to say that I built it DIY - but all I did was assemble the thing. It came with a panel, a 12 v battery, and extensions for lights. I used a converter for RVs/boats to make it so I could plug in a heating pad. And the darned thing is in a waterproof "suitcase." Couldn't have been easier.

I am so not that tech savvy. I was just lucky. I was allowed to keep it because it was the demonstration model. We have since stopped the project, and the suitcases have been updated, so SunPower let me keep it.