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

[UrbanHenBilly]

Just a quick thank you for this thread. I made one today and haven't been happier. Chicks are content, I can sleep well knowing there won't be a fire.

Seriously, THANK YOU.

 

[Finnie]

I probably won’t redo mine, but if I were to make a new one eventually, I think it would be worth going out and buying the long bolts and some of those white pieces.

Well @aart , I’m eating my words. I am redoing one of mine. I lost a chick to an MHP accident. You can see in this picture that there are no legs at the front corners.

Instead I have it supported by that plastic basket thing in the middle front. Last year I had that basket securely zip-tied to the frame. It worked great. The chicks had wrap-around entry ways on the sides and the front corners. This year I got lazy and tried to cut corners by only sewing that basket to the purple fabric cover. I should have known that wouldn’t be stable enough. One morning after the chicks were about 4 weeks old, I found the basket flipped forward, no longer supporting the front of the MHP. And there was a dead cockerel trapped underneath. I took the MHP away, since the chicks were feathered enough to not need it any more.

Now I need it for a new group of chicks, so I’m going to try to make it more like Aart’s.

This is the base frame I am using. It has a piece that goes along the whole back to serve as the back legs. (I have no idea what this was from. I just found it at Goodwill. That back part folds, so I zipped tied it in position.)

I was looking at carriage bolts at TSC, and I saw the nuts and washers next to them, and decided to use them instead of making a “large wooden washer“ Two huge washers on either side of the wire frame, two smaller washers to keep the nuts from falling through the holes of the big washers, and of course two nuts to hold them at whatever height on the carriage bolt leg I want. Ta-da! Adjustable legs!

Now I just have to reattach the heat pad and make a new cloth cover.

 

[aart]

Excellent EngiTinkering!

That back part folds, so I zipped tied it in position.

I hope the 'hinge' is really stable, how tall is it there?...could always go with 4 bolt legs.

 

[Finnie]

Excellent EngiTinkering!

I hope the 'hinge' is really stable, how tall is it there?...could always go with 4 bolt legs.

Ha ha! Thank you!

Pretty sure the zip tie hinge is stable. I checked it before reassembly.

i haven’t measured how tall it is. It’s pretty tall. I figure that will be the bigger chicks’ area and the smaller ones will have to go to the front. I actually think I might need to lower the front so the day-old size can reach their backs to the warmth. I’ll try a chick under it for size before I install it in the brooder.

Here I have it wrapped with press n seal.

I did find a bungee cord to be useful in this case to form the bend at the back. Press n Seal alone would have left the pad sagging down. (It sagged last year. It worked well saggy, but I thought I’d try it cinched up better this time.)

Here it is finished with its fabric cover.

And yes, @bruceha2000 I promise pictures of the chicks using it!

 

[aart]

Here it is finished with its fabric cover.

Can you easily get at the nuts to adjust the legs?

 

[Finnie]

Can you easily get at the nuts to adjust the legs?

I haven’t tried it yet, but the fabric is pretty stretchy, so I think I can.

 

[aart]

I haven’t tried it yet, but the fabric is pretty stretchy, so I think I can.

Good to try before you need to....
...testing your design for functionality is an essential part of EngiTinkering

 

[Finnie]

Pictures as promised

 

[Bigmommachicken]

I used a shelf similar to this with a heating pad for my chicks and its working out great! I love the press and seal idea! I have been trashing the towels every few days!

 

[janiedoe]

Good to try before you need to....
...testing your design for functionality is an essential part of EngiTinkering

Hmmm...can I use "EngiTinkering" when playing scrabble?