Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[perchie.girl]

portal door detail



When you are done you will have two doors on your crate.... The original and the new hardware cloth one inside.... You crate remains intact

deb

 

[azygous]

Judging from the poop inside the MHP cave, the four chicks slept under it all night. At 5:30 am, I opened the pop hole and called them. All four shot out of the coop with a little wing action to boot. There appeared to be no hard feelings for the stress I put them through last night.

It was cool for a few hours until the sun began pouring in through the sides of the run, so I enticed them back inside the coop with meal worms tossed into the cave just to educate them that there was heat there if they needed it. I was worried they weren't going to navigate the ramp, which is three feet long, but they're racing up and down like pros already.

We were talking about "facial massages" and I just wanted to show you guys how much my chicks enjoy them, as well as lap time in general. The minute I sit down on my cushion, it's an invitation for all four to pile in. They settle in for strokes and cuddling, then end up falling asleep. The only way I can get them off my lap is to peel them off.They placed themselves in this arrangement on my lap with no help from me.

Strawberry, the Legbar, is the most intense cuddle hog of the four. A chick shuts her eyes when she's completely zoned out. All four seem to have come around to being held in my hand now.

 

[Blooie]

Blooie I been thinking about that... What you can do rather than cut the wire on your pens How about making an inner door just with a portal in it... Mad of hardware cloth or something... just put a thin frame around it..

Or you could use coat hanger wire around the outside of the hardwarcloth to make a frame... then cut the hardware cloth a bit over sized and fold the edges around the frame.... notch the corners so they dont over lap when folded....

Now you can put a portal on the new door and zip tie the whole thing to the cage... as a hinge...

Dang Now i have to sketch it up...

Half a MO...

deb

Awesome idea, Deb, because this outdoor brooder system is NOT something I plan to change. Thanks!!!!

 

[ShidelsRestBB]

I went out and got the Sunbeam kingsize heating pad. Has the stay on option, and 6 heat settings.

I think that was the one that blooie had mentioned in her post. Works great. Sorry, I do not have pics.

 

[COChix]

So I moved Mamacita into our wire dog kennel into the covered run with the littles. I used press and seal on the bottom to hold the straw in, stole that from Blooie herself . I blocked the littles from being able to get too close to gawk. I took the cat carrier with the nest, mama and babies to the run and placed mama in the kennel first. Then I worked quickly to move the two babies and eggs under mom. Mamacita was tolerant of the move, not super thrilled but settled in. Here are some shots from her and the babies getting settled. I know there was another egg pipping as I heard I think when I was moving her.

 

[16 paws]

So I moved Mamacita into our wire dog kennel into the covered run with the littles. I used press and seal on the bottom to hold the straw in, stole that from Blooie herself

. I blocked the littles from being able to get too close to gawk. I took the cat carrier with the nest, mama and babies to the run and placed mama in the kennel first. Then I worked quickly to move the two babies and eggs under mom. Mamacita was tolerant of the move, not super thrilled but settled in. Here are some shots from her and the babies getting settled. I know there was another egg pipping as I heard I think when I was moving her.

Beautiful chicks and mama!

Just wondering if that press and seal works for the side of the crate? Do you need press and seal or just plastic wrap?
Thanks for any info and good luck on the rest of the hatch

Marie

 

[aart]

So I moved Mamacita into our wire dog kennel into the covered run with the littles. I used press and seal on the bottom to hold the straw in, stole that from Blooie herself

. I blocked the littles from being able to get too close to gawk. I took the cat carrier with the nest, mama and babies to the run and placed mama in the kennel first. Then I worked quickly to move the two babies and eggs under mom. Mamacita was tolerant of the move, not super thrilled but settled in. Here are some shots from her and the babies getting settled. I know there was another egg pipping as I heard I think when I was moving her.

Good Job!!
That face...so stern!

 

[COChix]

Beautiful chicks and mama!

Just wondering if that press and seal works for the side of the crate? Do you need press and seal or just plastic wrap?
Thanks for any info and good luck on the rest of the hatch
Marie

I used the press n seal on the bottom and up the side just a little ways up, all on the outside of the kennel.

Good Job!!
That face...so stern!

Thanks, she is stern, but such a good mom I am pretty tickled so far with my decision to allow her to go for it. I battled her all winter long and told her I would let her set on eggs in the spring. I think that is why she tolerated me moving her and such mid hatch, she knows we had an agreement and I held up my end of the bargain. Well at least in my human rational that is what I tell myself. When in reality she has the knack and nothing was going to deter her, not even a change of housing.

 

[Blooie]

I'm a little surprised the Press 'n Seal stuck to the wire of the crate! When I do it, I have hardware cloth all around the bottom of the crate to keep the Littles from escaping, and the Press 'n Seal sticks really well to that. I would have thought there were too many gaps in the wire to get a good grip! I just never fail to learn something new.....

Mamacita looks like she knows what she's doing! Cute cute cute!

 

[Blooie]

I went out and got the Sunbeam kingsize heating pad. Has the stay on option, and 6 heat settings.

I think that was the one that blooie had mentioned in her post. Works great. Sorry, I do not have pics.

Welcome to the Genuine Imitation Broody Hen thread! You got the exact heating pad that I have! Glad it's working well for you!

azygous, you are making almost think about wanting a cuddle chick here, doggone it!