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

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Ok, so I tried this lastnight. I bought a heating pad without auto-off on amazon, built a framework to form a cave, covered it with a towel. I put it in the coop with my 3 week old chicks and they were kind of afraid of it. I left it in there with the heat lamp still on for an hour or so for them to kind of get used to it, then I shut the heat lamp off. I stuck a thermometer under the heating pad and it was reading 95 degrees in the cave, so I thought it was good to go. Well, this morning I went to check on them and all the chicks are huddled under the heating pad cave and the thermometer is reading 75 under there. I'm afraid that's too cold for them at this age, so I removed the cave and turned the heat lamp back on. I guess my heating pad doesn't get hot enough for how cold it's getting at night to keep the temp up.
 
That's odd. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. It almost sounds like the auto-shut off turned off anyway. I had that happen when I turned the pad back on after having it off for a bit, and forgot to hit the switch to bypass the auto-shut off. Mine maintained a solid 82.9 degrees in the cave, plenty warm for them considering that they cuddle together and the heat is more directly on them. I started the chicks out on the 6 setting, and have lowered it now to the 4.

Earlier in the thread someone else asked about switching older chicks to this method, and I responded that I wasn't sure that it would work. I suggested that they might try either putting the cave in and letting the chicks get used to it, or tuck them in under it at night in the dark. But I've never run into a situation where the the chicks went into the cave and the heating pad wasn't warm enough.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-732-5...F8&qid=1426731973&sr=1-2&keywords=heating+pad

That is the heating pad I got. It only has low, medium, high for heat settings. The model I got doesn't have auto-off. It's not something I need to bypass, it just doesn't have it. It was still warm when I felt it, just not warm enough for the chicks. It has been getting into the 40's at night (tonight it's supposed to be 35) so I think the heating pad just wasn't able to keep up with how cold the surrounding area was. The chicks are all fine though, I went out in the morning and turned their heat lamp back on. I'm thinking I might use the cave during the day when the ambient temp is considerably warmer, and the heat lamp at night, at least for another week or two until it's warmer outside and the chicks are less dependant on the heat.
 
thegreatwhite said:
what do you think about using something like this in conjunction with the heating pad?

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTP...26730667&sr=8-23&keywords=digital+heating+pad
Click to expand...

I am using that exact thermostat. I have just set up my mama heating pad for two new chicks arriving Friday.
I am using a wire frame bent into a curve.
In my case I had a reptile heat pad already that is about 19" long, so am using that, on top of the frame, with a Press and Seal covered towel on top.
The heat pad is plugged into that thermostat, and I have the probe inside the 'cave', twistied onto the frame so the tip of the probe sticks down about 1 inch.
I tested it and it works great: temps measured with the infared temp gun confirmed mostly95f (range 93-97, as the thermostat comes on and off).
Has not been tested 'live' yet, but I am optimistic.
 
Vian said:
http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-732-5...F8&qid=1426731973&sr=1-2&keywords=heating+pad

That is the heating pad I got. It only has low, medium, high for heat settings. The model I got doesn't have auto-off. It's not something I need to bypass, it just doesn't have it. It was still warm when I felt it, just not warm enough for the chicks. It has been getting into the 40's at night (tonight it's supposed to be 35) so I think the heating pad just wasn't able to keep up with how cold the surrounding area was. The chicks are all fine though, I went out in the morning and turned their heat lamp back on. I'm thinking I might use the cave during the day when the ambient temp is considerably warmer, and the heat lamp at night, at least for another week or two until it's warmer outside and the chicks are less dependant on the heat.
Click to expand...
That really surprises me. I had eleven 1 week old chicks and four 1 day old chicks outside and it was 23 degrees. They are now almost 3 weeks and almost 2 weeks old, respectively, and still doing absolutely great. I feel so bad that it didn't work for you.
 
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This may be a little OT, but I think it goes along with the thinking of this thread...and I'd like some feedback from those with a bit of experience in raising chicks.

I hope I'm not being callous. My 3 week old chicks spent their first night out last night. It got down to 48*. I had put the heat lamp out, and it kept it to 65* in the immediate vicinity of the lamp. They have a lot of feathers, so I was more concerned about raccoons than the weather (even though the coop could withstand an atomic bomb and keep standing).

I just went out to check on the chicks. They aren't even near the heat lamp, but have chosen to bury themselves in the deep litter, under a raised board I set up to put their food on. They came out of thier improvised "Mama Heating Pad" when they saw my flashlight, but didn't show any signs of distress. Though I'm not sure that I would recognise signs of distress. But they started chirping, seemingly happily.

Am I being callous? Am I missing signs of distress? Being away from the heat lamp, they were in 48* weather with only each others body heat to keep them warm.

P.S. Since they were already up, I turned the outside light on and just now went out to check on them. They are all out of their nest, eating and drinking and seem to me be acting normally (for a chicken, anyway).

UPDATE: It is 2 1/2 hours later and is now light out. Just checked on the chicks again and they act like everything is normal. I gave them an earthworm and they went nuts. I have come to the conclusion that the rule of lessening their heating by 5* every week is not always the case. Maybe my breed is more hardy (Production Reds), I don't know. This conclusions seems in harmony with a comment Blooie made that, while chicks need care, they are not the delicate little things that they are made out to be. If someone with experience disagrees with this conclusion, please I won't be offended. I am brand new to chicks (since I was a kid anyway) and want to learn.
 
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