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

[Nambroth]

Nice writeup. I too use paper towels for the first day or two when they are in the house. Easy to replace, no cleaning needed.

Fair warning, in case you aren't aware:
If you ordered 6 pullets and got ten chicks, you can bet the 4 extras are cockerel "packing peanuts" for warmth on their trip to your house.

Fortunately, my chicks are Bielefelders, which are auto-sexing. I only have one boy, the extras are girls! A nice surprise.

 

[Minky]

baby pics as promised!! now to figure out who is who!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Fortunately, my chicks are Bielefelders, which are auto-sexing. I only have one boy, the extras are girls! A nice surprise.

Wow, lucky you! Most of the time the hatcheries are looking to get rid of cockerel chicks. What better way than "packing peanuts". The downside of course is people receive boys they may not want or can't legally have.

 

[bruceha2000]

baby pics as promised!! now to figure out who is who!!

What are our choices?
Chipmunk with green legs (actually, any with green legs) would be Easter Eggers.

 

[Minky]

Dad is Cream Legbar. (not crested)
Moms are:
Buff Orpington (at least 3 are BO, but as many as 5)
Barnevelder (at least 1 but as many as 3)
Easter Egger (2 are EE for sure)

i think yellow are BO
twins in my hand (dark ones) i think are barnevelders
Orange, freckled and 2 chipmunks Im not sure.....

NONE have green or slate legs!!!!
One does have puffy cheeks (one of the lighter chipmunks)

 

[bruceha2000]

That "green" can be really hard to see when they are very young, especially on light colored birds. Eos was nearly white and I looked long and hard to 'decide' her legs were green. They eventually became clearly green.

I THINK the 2 yellow and 1 tan are your BO's.

I think this would also be a Barnevelder, Trill and Trouble looked similar:


Of course if the father of all of them is a Cream Legbar, I have NO idea how that would affect the look of the chicks. But you can expect green eggs if he is "pure", CLs lay blue.

Here are my 2017s, 2 Barnevelders, 2 Welsummers (darker chipmunks), 2 Exchequer Leghorns (yellow and black), 1 EE (light chipmunk)

 

[drumstick diva]

Nice to have you pop in Jennifer, hope your gang is doing fine.

 

[Dragonflydore]

Would reptile heating pads work as well!? Lamps terrifying me. This is a great idea and so much kniwleknk!

 

[Blooie]

Some tried reptile pads in the past, but I don’t know where in the thread the topic first came up. I think the consensus was that they aren’t as warm, or something like that. Anyone help?

 

[aart]

Some tried reptile pads in the past, but I don’t know where in the thread the topic first came up. I think the consensus was that they aren’t as warm, or something like that. Anyone help?

That's what I recall about the seedling mats...not sure about reptile pads.

Would reptile heating pads work as well!? Lamps terrifying me. This is a great idea and so much kniwleknk!

You need something that will stay at about 100-110F constantly.
If you have a reptile pad, test it with an infrared temp gauge over a day.