Heat lamp? Cheaper way to heat?

[ScottKelly1974]

When I first started out, I did not know chicks needed heat. I lost all but one. The one that survived nearly died herself. She was saved by placing her out back on the deck here the sun could heat her up, and the reflective heat from the house would increase that heat. She revived after some hours. At night I held her to keep her warm. Then, as I was watching, allowing her to walk around, she came close to my hot tea in a coffee mug and just leaned into it. She felt the heat and stayed warm that way. So that night I boiled (microwaved) water in the mug and placed it into the cage. Every two to three hours I would go and re-heat the water. Then the next day I would place her outside in the sun. i repeated this for about a week or two until she had developed the ability to self regulate body temperature. I still put her outside during the day.

I have since then raised chicks several times, using a heat lamp, and using the natural heat from the sun. I also keep the chicks by the big glass door inside the house on cold days, but the sun heats up that area nicely.

I hope this helps you lower your energy costs.

 

[Blooie]

Personally,
I think the mother heating pad is a bacteria cave and don't endorse it.

Best,
Karen

“A bacteria cave”? I’ve heard Mama Heating Pad criticized in a lot of different ways - harebrained, lazy, even been told that it was like putting chicks into an MRI - but I gotta say that this is a totally new one on me, and on all of the other people who are successfully raising chicks indoors and outdoors with this method.

I don’t like raising chicks indoors, so I don’t. I don’t like the dust that is impossible to keep up with, I don’t like the mess, the noise, and the disruption indoor brooding has caused here. But there are choices available... others do brood indoors and they like it. They do it with heat lamps and other kind of light bulbs. Then there are commercial brooding plates as well as MHP. A few even bring broody hens indoors to hatch and raise their chicks. MHP indoors is no different than any other brooder indoors, so specifically what makes MHP the only bacteria cave in the chicken world and where is the proof?

I have a lot of respect for your experience, and normally just kinda laugh comments like this off because I know first-hand that there is absolutely no basis for it. This comment goes way beyond what any of us have seen. Not once in all these years, and as active as the MHP thread is, has a single user complained about human sickness or chick illness due to some kind of bacteria cave issue. Everything we use is totally washable, even the whole heating pad. I’m scratching my head here....I honestly don’t get it.

I don’t expect your endorsement. I don’t need endorsements from anyone. MHP’s success speaks quite loudly for itself. It’s not the only way raise chicks and I tell people that. So what do you suggest in its place? I’m genuinely curious.

Respectfully as always,
Blooie

 

[click cluck]

When I first started out, I did not know chicks needed heat. I lost all but one. The one that survived nearly died herself. She was saved by placing her out back on the deck here the sun could heat her up, and the reflective heat from the house would increase that heat. She revived after some hours. At night I held her to keep her warm. Then, as I was watching, allowing her to walk around, she came close to my hot tea in a coffee mug and just leaned into it. She felt the heat and stayed warm that way. So that night I boiled (microwaved) water in the mug and placed it into the cage. Every two to three hours I would go and re-heat the water. Then the next day I would place her outside in the sun. i repeated this for about a week or two until she had developed the ability to self regulate body temperature. I still put her outside during the day.

I have since then raised chicks several times, using a heat lamp, and using the natural heat from the sun. I also keep the chicks by the big glass door inside the house on cold days, but the sun heats up that area nicely.

I hope this helps you lower your energy costs.

I'm sorry to here you lost some, I lost 3 ( to coccidiosis) , 2 died in my hands. I am going to put in a 75 watt bulb and ween them off the light. they are doing great now! Thanks for the tips!

 

[click cluck]

“A bacteria cave”? I’ve heard Mama Heating Pad criticized in a lot of different ways - harebrained, lazy, even been told that it was like putting chicks into an MRI - but I gotta say that this is a totally new one on me, and on all of the other people who are successfully raising chicks indoors and outdoors with this method.

I don’t like raising chicks indoors, so I don’t. I don’t like the dust that is impossible to keep up with, I don’t like the mess, the noise, and the disruption indoor brooding has caused here. But there are choices available... others do brood indoors and they like it. They do it with heat lamps and other kind of light bulbs. Then there are commercial brooding plates as well as MHP. A few even bring broody hens indoors to hatch and raise their chicks. MHP indoors is no different than any other brooder indoors, so specifically what makes MHP the only bacteria cave in the chicken world and where is the proof?

I have a lot of respect for your experience, and normally just kinda laugh comments like this off because I know first-hand that there is absolutely no basis for it. This comment goes way beyond what any of us have seen. Not once in all these years, and as active as the MHP thread is, has a single user complained about human sickness or chick illness due to some kind of bacteria cave issue. Everything we use is totally washable, even the whole heating pad. I’m scratching my head here....I honestly don’t get it.

I don’t expect your endorsement. I don’t need endorsements from anyone. MHP’s success speaks quite loudly for itself. It’s not the only way raise chicks and I tell people that. So what do you suggest in its place? I’m genuinely curious.

Respectfully as always,
Blooie

My house is always noisy with something lol usually animals. I keep up on the dust best I can. I don't have a barn of some sorts to put them in so that's why they are inside, Its cold out right now so if I did I probably would still have them in. As for the cave, I think its a great idea! wish I would have know about it before! Thanks for the reply I agree with you.
-click cluck

 

[3riverschick]

Hi Blooie,
We are never gonna agree on the merits of the mother heating cave. I just don't believe in it. I think there are more sanitary , modern ways to raise chicks. Guess we will just have to agree to disagree.
Respectfully,
Karen

 

[Blooie]

Absolutely. But then I’m trying to sell Mama Heating Pad, just make folks aware that there are lots of ways to raise chicks.

Truce?

 

[3riverschick]

Truce.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

I'm sorry to here you lost some, I lost 3 ( to coccidiosis) , 2 died in my hands. I am going to put in a 75 watt bulb and ween them off the light. they are doing great now! Thanks for the tips!

Well it was all alerting experience. My current chicks vary in age from just shy of a month to a month and two weeks old. I stopped using the heat lamp when the youngest was about two weeks old. By then they were all spreading out away from the heat. They do fine outside during the day. But I ma not ready to put them out at night. Maybe when they reach two months old or the weather gets warmer over night they could stay out. I have more expected to hatch in the next few days. i will see if they can stay with the current chicks.

 

[Birdinhand]

Hi Blooie,
We are never gonna agree on the merits of the mother heating cave. I just don't believe in it. I think there are more sanitary , modern ways to raise chicks. Guess we will just have to agree to disagree.
Respectfully,
Karen

I am scratching my head wondering what basis you have for saying this? a bacteria cave, really, please do tell? do you have experience with an MHP? chicks kept anywhere are petri dishes of bacteria. if one is concerned about that there are measures you can take regardless of the heat source. with an MHP, you can pretty easily disinfect the parts that come in contact with the chicks. using a heat lamp, the most common favored approach, is probably one of the worst ways as far as bacteria are concerned, heating the feed, the droppings and the water as well as all surface areas dramatically increases bacterial replication. I've studied everything through medical micro biology and I could go pretty into this if you need some further explanation. reducing the heat source substantially as is done with an MHP or a radiant heat panel of any type is a vast improvement biologically over a heat lamp. the droppings stay cool, the feed and water stay cool. scientific research has been done using MHP's, you can read about it in The Behavior Biology of Chickens, it's a pretty solid method and it's not new. what is new is the name and the internet of idea exchange. for the DIY'er nothing I've seen on the market beats the economy and practicality of an MHP, and practically any other solution beats the pants off a heat lamp which has a pretty shaky track record for causing burns, starting coop and even house fires. I personally am a bit miffed that someone would make a vague claim, promulgate fear, uncertainty and doubt and then be unwilling to discuss it, unwilling to back up what they are saying with some facts or at least some personal experience. honestly, it comes off as fear mongering.

 

[Saaniya]

I never use heat lamp in my brooder cause I live in India & here the weather is super hot for chicks ..but sometimes when it rain heavily and my chicks seems cold I set up and 100W regular bulb on the top of the brooder and check the temperature to reach about 90-100F ...its preety handy and easily avil