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

[aart]

Omg. Cardboard.

@aart saving my life again.

Yes!....tho I did put a piece of plastic between the rack and the cardboard in case of watery soak thrus.

Or I guess you could put P&S on the cardboard, would give it some texture...
...because the cardboard can be a bit slippery, tho I haven't had any slip and fall injuries.

 

[bruceha2000]

I just throw an old dish towel over the top, no P&S.
Hardware cloth won't work well, it won't keep its shape. You want something sturdy enough to hold a shape but flexible enough to reshape as the birds grow. They will use it for about 4 weeks until they are fully feathered. After that they don't need added heat.

I've used a piece of 2x4 welded wire fence and a scrap piece of Closetmaid type shelf that I bent into an arch. You can also make a Brinsea™ heat plate type with a flat rack as @aart mentioned but you need to make adjustable legs for it. If you brood chicks frequently it may be worth the effort. If done only every year or three, bending something into an arch takes all of 30 seconds.

For the short couple of days that they are in the house (other than my original 12 who were raised in a bathtub under a heat lamp, learned about MHP for the 2nd batch, I put the MHP in a large cardboard box with high sides, their waterer and feeder. All this is placed on a few layers of paper towels that I changed twice daily. After that they go out into the coop on pine shavings. I have a 2 sided "wall" of scrap wood and 1/2" hardware cloth (left over from coop build) that is about 18" by 3.5' and fits into the corner of the coop. There is a wire frame over the top. The littles are raised in sight, sound & smell of the adults and in 2 cases under the care of a broody hen. In those 2 cases the MHP was only needed for their time in the house.

 

[christatothemax]

Forgive me... what is P&S?

Alright, so if I keep my chicks inside the house (basement) in a cardboard box until they are fully feathered, on paper towels that I change twice a day... I should get the "Sunbeam Heating Pad | X-Large | 12-Inch x 24-Inch" and use bungee cords to attach it to an arched piece of wire shelving, with a piece of cardboard and then a towel on top?

 

[dpenning]

Forgive me... what is P&S?

Alright, so if I keep my chicks inside the house (basement) in a cardboard box until they are fully feathered, on paper towels that I change twice a day... I should get the "Sunbeam Heating Pad | X-Large | 12-Inch x 24-Inch" and use bungee cords to attach it to an arched piece of wire shelving, with a piece of cardboard and then a towel on top?

Press & Seal. The configuration is really up to you but yes, what you said would work. You will need to figure out the legs if you use wire shelving unless you can bend it into a cave. I like having open sides. You will need to adjust the height as the chicks grow. You want them to be able to touch their backs to the heating pad.

 

[christatothemax]

Press & Seal. The configuration is really up to you but yes, what you said would work. You will need to figure out the legs if you use wire shelving unless you can bend it into a cave. I like having open sides. You will need to adjust the height as the chicks grow. You want them to be able to touch their backs to the heating pad.

Perfect. I assume I am checking it each morning and night when I change the paper towels to ensure they can still reach and adjusting as needed. How will I know if they're too hot or too cold? Do they completely self-adjust for that, as long as they can touch the heating pad to their backs? And, lastly (I think), do I cover the heating pad with anything on the bottom or can they touch it directly?

 

[blackdog043]

@christatothemax How many chicks are you gonna get and when are you getting them?

I use a flat rack, the pad is covered with P & S and a towel. I have the rack on a slant side to side, not front to back. This gives the chicks an option to pick the higher or lower side. You want at least 2 sides open so none get trapped, if you make it flat you could have 4 sides open. My pad is on top of the rack, I use 2 inch tape to hold it on. The chicks do fine with the pad on top. If you want the pad underneath, you don't need to cover the bottom. The cover come off the heating pad, so you can wash it after using it, if you want to.

How will I know if they're too hot or too cold?

If it's to hot underneath, they won't want to go under or will sit at the edge. To cold and they will be chirping at you. Just right, they will be under it and making cooing noises, especially at night. Pay attention to their body language, they will tell you. In the beginning they will spend more time underneath and gradually stay out longer, so don't be alarmed that they aren't coming out a lot. I use the Sunbeam pad with the digital control, I start on 5 or 6 and lower the heat setting every week. A word of caution, if you lose power, the digital pad will not turn on after your electric comes back on, you must turn it on again and make sure you press the button so it stays on.

 

[christatothemax]

@christatothemax How many chicks are you gonna get and when are you getting them?
View attachment 1919799

Thank you for the warm welcome and answering my questions! I am verifying with my village the amountI am allowed, but I believe 5. I was thinking early December, so they would spend most the Winter inside the house and then move out to the barn in February.

 

[aart]

I was thinking early December, so they would spend most the Winter inside the house and then move out to the barn in February.

Are ya sure you want chickens in the house for 2-3 months?
They stink, create an enormous amount of dust, and are going to need to big space within a few weeks. It's unbelievable how fast they grow.
I would strongly suggest that you wait until spring to get chicks.

 

[christatothemax]

Are ya sure you want chickens in the house for 2-3 months?
They stink, create an enormous amount of dust, and are going to need to big space within a few weeks. It's unbelievable how fast they grow.
I would strongly suggest that you wait until spring to get chicks.

Where do you keep chicks? I was thinking our unfinished basement. It has dirt floors tons of space, and away from the main living areas.

 

[aart]

Where do you keep chicks? I was thinking our unfinished basement. It has dirt floors tons of space, and away from the main living areas.

I have a brooder in lower level of a walkout, basically a basement with lots of windows one one side, but now put chicks out in the coop a week after hatch for less mess in the house and easier integration with flock.

Your basement might work....as long as there's nothing down there you don't want covered in dust. Is there any natural light down there?
I still think you'll only do that once.