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

[aart]

Good luck with your 'gimp' @CourtKnee.
Love the play on words in your screen name.

 

[CourtKnee]

I just bungied the heating pad to the bottom of the frame. No more hanging scares! Whew! They were able to touch the heating pad through the frame before, but I think they are even happier now with full exposure to it. I appreciate this community so much, thank you again!

 

[ladydi]

I love the MHP. It is really a great way of keeping your chicks warm. I hatched out 16 chicks 3 weeks ago, and for the first week they used the MHP sometimes during the day and went in at night. But after the first week, they stopped using it at night. I have more chicks set to hatch Memorial Day weekend. I guess we will see how long they will use it. Outside daytime temperature is in the 60's and night time temps are upper 40's-lower 50's. The chicks are outside in the chicken coop. They are all fine and happy. Even though they don't use it at night, I will continue to use this method of heat for any chicks in the future. I am so glad I discovered this thread.

 

[Blooie]

We’re just as glad to have you!

@bruceha2000 - you’ll get a particular kick out of this since you have a soft spot for her anyway...I had the heating pad out for my achy shoulder and Bug stopped by with her mom. She looked at me, stuck her arm up dramatically and said, “Sunbeam Gramma - saving the world one heat lamp at a time!”

 

[bruceha2000]

That girl is fun. And perceptive.

@ladydi Interesting they stopped using it at night after the first week. That is unusual especially if they are outside in "non room temperature" temperatures. Was it perhaps too warm inside? They can pig pile and stay pretty warm though I would think the MHP cave would be more comfortable.

 

[ladydi]

@bruceha2000 The temp under the pad was 85-90 degrees. They haven’t piled up on each other either. They sit next to each other, they look like a large fluffy blanket.

 

[Blooie]

If they’re happy, you can be happy!

 

[ladydi]

If they’re happy, you can be happy!

They all seem very happy. No problems whatsoever.

 

[trudyg]

My babies are so silly--95 outside and they're on the mhp, 65 last night and they're all up on the roost..... They do go under as I'm doing my nightly lockdown check, but soon come out and up they fly. At 3 weeks all of my red rangers are feathered out and getting red combs, my BO's are pretty well feathered (all pullets, so yellow combs) and my packing peanut is the size of a wren, getting a red comb and always the first to fly up to the roost. He is still fuzzy for the most part but doesn't go to the heat. They don't have to be shoo'd into the coop and rarely make much noise, so different from chicks raised using the heat lamp. My ac man came out to do some work several days ago and had his son with him helping. Son is a vet and was impressed with the mhp! Have a new convert.

 

[CourtKnee]

I haven’t shared a picture of our babies yet, it’s felt so busy these first couple of days! Here are all seven. We had eight, but Hope passed away this morning. I think it was more than splayed leg, even just out of the box she had a hard time holding up her head. I hand fed her nutridrench and fermented feed slush, and though she seemed a bit stronger yesterday, she still had no desire to try to eat, just wanted to lay down. Now I can focus more love on to these healthy, energetic gals. They LOVE the MHP and I do too!

We have a Welsummer, Swedish Flower hen (Poppy), Favaucana (maybe Frida), Easter Egger (Buckbeak), Olive Egger, Black Copper Marans (Chicken Little), Blue (maybe splash) Ameraucana (Pig). I’m not 100% sure which one is the Easter Egger and which is the Welsummer. Do one of those two breeds mature faster? One chick is way bigger than the others and I was hoping that may be a tell.