June Hatch-A-Long

[kelseyk]

How many of you guys have tried the Mama Heating Pad and how many still use the tradition heat lamp?
I usually have the brooder in the house and find a typical 60 or 75 watt (old round type) bulb does fine for 15 to 20 chicks. But I've got a shipment of 15 coming this week plus whatever hatches out of these 18 eggs.

If you do the MHP, how do you like it vs the lamps?

At the moment, I am using heat lamps. Our brooder is out in the shop bathroom. I am looking into using something different as my hubby has given me permission to move my brooder tanks into the old vacant farmhouse that we use for storage. I really do not like the thought of using a heat lamp in a building full of carpet and wood construction - the shop is cement floor and metal walls. I have 1 brooder plate currently out in my coop broody/introduction pen and 2 vertical heat plates (one in the rooster house and another still in the box).

 

[Vantic]

How many of you guys have tried the Mama Heating Pad and how many still use the tradition heat lamp?
I usually have the brooder in the house and find a typical 60 or 75 watt (old round type) bulb does fine for 15 to 20 chicks. But I've got a shipment of 15 coming this week plus whatever hatches out of these 18 eggs.

If you do the MHP, how do you like it vs the lamps?

I use heat emitters, but plan to do a modified MHP with reptile heat tape and a thermostat.

 

[kelseyk]

While on the topic of heat sources, does anyone use the vertical heat plates for chicks? I'm trying to figure out if they will work.

My little Wheaten Marans that I was doing a major assist on did not make it through the night. I eggtopsied it this morning and found that it's head was over the top of it's wing and it's feet were above it's head. The other one that managed to internally pip was almost the same way, feet were a little lower though (I do think this one died more due to the shape of the egg - couldn't reach the shell to externally pip).

 

[Trisseh]

I use a MHP for all of my babies. I feel like it’s a bit more of a natural instinct to go cuddle under the warmth. I’m also a cheapskate so didn’t want to spend a ton of money on a plate, when I could spend pretty much the same and get 3 heating pads. I prefer the radiant/direct heat from them over lamps because I also use straw bedding under it in my brooders, after the first couple of days. They snuggle down in a little nest of straw under the pad and come out when they want to eat or drink or play. I do find the ducklings prefer to sit on top of the pad rather than go underneath it, after day 2 or so.

 

[FortCluck]

My polish Deathlayers all ran off into the woods and I can’t find them I’m really done with hatching chicks...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

While on the topic of heat sources, does anyone use the vertical heat plates for chicks? I'm trying to figure out if they will work.

My little Wheaten Marans that I was doing a major assist on did not make it through the night. I eggtopsied it this morning and found that it's head was over the top of it's wing and it's feet were above it's head. The other one that managed to internally pip was almost the same way, feet were a little lower though (I do think this one died more due to the shape of the egg - couldn't reach the shell to externally pip).

I had one but I didn't feel like it got warm enough. I may have actually thrown it away...

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I'm working on a modified MHP using a seedling heat mat. It was less expensive than the heating pad without an auto shut off, has a thermostat for control, and can get wet or poopy without a problem and be cleaned. And I can use it for other things in the off season...like seeds!
My mailbox chicks aren't due until Thur or Fri and the bator due Sat. Just got the seed mat set up to see how it will do for the next couple of days and have the heat lamps to fall back on.
I'd like a heat plate...but still keep holding out for broody hens. Hoping the JG hens I ordered will be broody fools next year.

The seedling mats have been getting good reviews from reptile people so figured it would work for chicks too.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

no!!! This is the one I contemplated giving ALL the eggs too, cause she is my proven broody. 2 clutches last year. She has never hatched all the eggs, though. as the flock boss, I’ve never closed here in though. This time I did with just plastic aviary netting because a few girls lay in her box when she takes a break and the other broody is hatching too. So, this time, i caught her cause she couldn’t toss the evidence and then the other chickens couldn’t eat it. *vomit*

the fowl pox hen had multiple external pips plus the smashed egg from the other broody all sitting underneath her at dusk, I’ll be going out shortly to see what happened last night. At this point nothing would surprise me.

I’m SUPER frustrated that a broody that has proven so reliable did this. Then again, I have to keep reminding myself she probably isn’t reliable and she probably killed a few chicks each time.

I cannot BELIEVE that poor 9 month old broody that was the first to sit this year hatched 14 babies. She’s a beast and deserves a medal.

I gave a Like for your beast broodie, not the problem child! Well, our broody managed to kill our only white chick in the clutch by picking at its unhealed navel, causing internal bleeding. We nursed it for while but it was hopeless and we had to euthanize. It was one that my DD was really excited about, then got attached to nursing it. She was sobbing and I felt so helpless.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I only let her sit on 6 to incubate and threw all the rest under her at lockdown. She isn’t the largest girl and I thought anything more than that would develop staggered. I have a friend that hatches 2 dozen under her Cochin!!!

Two dozen! Wow! We decided that 12 is too many, since both clutches of 12 have had one egg crushed by mama hen...

 

[jolenesdad]

I gave a ❤ Like for your beast broodie, not the problem child! Well, our broody managed to kill our only white chick in the clutch by picking at its unhealed navel, causing internal bleeding. We nursed it for while but it was hopeless and we had to euthanize. It was one that my DD was really excited about, then got attached to nursing it. She was sobbing and I felt so helpless.

UGH. I really love the compassion of your DD. *hugs*