Heating Pad Brooder - they love it!

[MountainOrchard]

My attempt to get my broody hen to adopt some guinea keets failed, so into the brooder with a heat lamp they went. Then I happened across the wonderful thread about using a heating pad to make an artificial broody hen and thought why not try it? I already had all the materials, so nothing to lose. And WOW - they love it! I went in to check on them after dark and was amazed to hear SILENCE! They were not making a sound and sleeping better than they ever did under the lamp. I only wish I'd found out about it sooner for my batch of chicks that just moved out to the coop. I will never use a heat lamp again!

 

[azygous]

That's how I feel about the MHP system! Thankfully, I learned about it before I received my latest batch of chicks.

One thing I caution you to watch for, though, even though you said the chicks appear to be plenty comfortable. In the first couple of weeks, some chicks need direct contact with the heat pad to be able to warm up adequately. Radiated heat from the pad isn't enough for some very young chicks.

I've had to adjust my pad for a sick chick to make a little "oven" for her where she has direct contact with the pad and can get warm more quickly. The way I knew she wasn't getting warm enough was she would continually peep. Like having a newborn baby in the house, the constant fretting is enough to motivate you to try to figure out any way to make it stop!

 

[MountainOrchard]

Thanks for that tip! It got a little colder last night than it has been so I did bend the wire a bit so the pad is closer to the keets. On the edges they can press up against it if they need to. They all seem healthy and happy! And they love climbing up on it and then sliding down the sides (it's slippery because I covered it with plastic.) So funny.