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

[aart]

22" deep by 33" long and 18" tall under it.

Plenty big for a brooder space, you could easily raise 8 chicks to 4 weeks in that. It is actually a good space since there is visual "access" to the big girls.

Agrees, perfect place!...
...but keep in mind depending on size and type of pad, the cord can take up some space.
My 24" wide pad goes to about 27" with the big clunky power connection.
Also watch your rack size, depending on how you configure it.
With just a few chicks, a smaller pad and rack might be fine.
Plan carefully.

 

[bruceha2000]

The pad and cave should squeak into the 22" space if the cave is, say, 20" wide and the pad runs down the inside of the sides of the cave. But yep, the power connector is a bit chunky. At least there is a goodly amount of cord between that and the controller so the controller can be outside the brooder space.

OR perhaps better, if the cave is run along the 33" side of the space, the chicks could go in and out both the "front" and "back" with the food and water at to end where the door to the coop is (for easy food and water maintenance).

 

[tigger19687]

GREAT, you all have made me want chicks now. I have not had them since 2002

Watch, i will end up with all roos ...

I can put the cord behind the nest boxes and then tape it up along the corner so it is covered and out of the way.
I had just bought a heating pad a couple weeks ago, i think it was like $25-30, 12"x 24" with a 9 foot cord. So that is good !
I also already have those wire shelf racks for the closets? I can make a nice solid one from that.
I have more time to plan.
But thank you for looking to ensure that it would work.
I really want the Black Australorps !

 

[bruceha2000]

You can use the wire closet shelf either with washers and threaded rods or channel your inner "Charles Atlas" and bend the shelf into an arc.

I hope you get lots of pullets!

 

[aart]

GREAT, you all have made me want chicks now. I have not had them since 2002

Watch, i will end up with all roos ...

I can put the cord behind the nest boxes and then tape it up along the corner so it is covered and out of the way.
I had just bought a heating pad a couple weeks ago, i think it was like $25-30, 12"x 24" with a 9 foot cord. So that is good !
I also already have those wire shelf racks for the closets? I can make a nice solid one from that.
I have more time to plan.
But thank you for looking to ensure that it would work.
I really want the Black Australorps !

That might be too big for the space and number of chicks....need room for feed and water and so they can ramble around when not using the heat pad.
Use some tape on the floor to outline the space you have, then place all the components within it to show how things will fit.
Come to think of it, 22x33 is tight space for even a few chicks for more than a week or two.

 

[bruceha2000]

For comparison purposes, this is roughly 20x48, 7 chicks one month old. I figure the top of the cave counts as "floor space" since they use it that way.

 

[aart]

For comparison purposes, this is roughly 20x48, 7 chicks one month old. I figure the top of the cave counts as "floor space" since they use it that way.
View attachment 1286073

It does unless they need to cool off.
How big is your heating pad?
Looks like it's bent into a cave...which is how wide?
2x3 wire on top?

 

[bruceha2000]

That is the Xpress XL pad so 12"x24" and yes, bent frame cave, not a flat plate. It was a flat piece of wire shelving when I started though Since the pad is 24" wide, the cave would be about 18" wide when the picture was taken. The pad went down to the "floor" in the back on the sides when originally installed with 4" opening in front, 2" in the back. Hmmm, maybe the brooder space is 24" wide since there is space on the side of the cave.

And yes, 2x4 welded wire on the top to keep the big girls out.

 

[tigger19687]

@aart, that is what I was thinking.
Since I have to make the roost longer I might as well just take that whole bottom area.
I can close off a section till they are a bit bigger and then open it for more room.

 

[aart]

Hmmm, maybe the brooder space is 24" wide since there is space on the side of the cave.
And yes, 2x4 welded wire

Yep, that adds up!

@aart, that is what I was thinking.
Since I have to make the roost longer I might as well just take that whole bottom area.
I can close off a section till they are a bit bigger and then open it for more room.

Definitely think ahead so you have enough space before you bring the chickies in, both for brooder area and when they get big .
Make 'tiny doors', or use sections of lattice, to start integration of chicks after a few weeks.