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

[KRack]

True but unless there is a lot of ventilation, the 95°F at brooder bottom level (the bottom of the bathtub, heat lamp controlled with a remote reading thermostat in the case of my initial 12) floods the room pretty darn well even with the shower curtain pulled to try to contain the heat.

It was an 8'x10' bathroom and WAY HOT for us people. We had to keep the door closed or they would have been 12 cat snacks.


Yep


Also yep The underside of a hen isn't hot either.


I've not hatched chicks but from what I understand shipped eggs are notorious for poor hatch rates. You and your friend might have to come to a different agreement.

She’s getting whatever 6 I don’t want if all 12 hatch but yes, I’ve read that too. Praying for the best!!

 

[RoyalChick]

lso yep The underside of a hen isn't hot either.

It is warm though! My favorite thing is to pick up a chicken when I am working outside in the cold - if you get your hands underneath it is pretty cozy.
Sadly my current tribe of Princesses believe that is inappropriate behavior and have issued a cease and desist order on me warming my hands in their fluffiness!

 

[bruceha2000]

If you don't let them out of their enclosure they can't go hire a lawyer to press charges

 

[Chixchik]

I just got ten new day oId chicks last week (my second time raising chicks). My first ever hens (13 lovely ladies) are a year old and are doing well in the “Chicken Mansion” my dear wonderful handy husband built for me (not necessarily for them!! )

So not to drag this out… I’ve been HOPING to raise my chicks as naturally as possible and I saw this thread and Azygous’ essay so with her encouragement and direction and all of your WONDERFUL advice and photos, we JUST last night made our first ever “Mama’s Heating Pad den/nest” and put it in their indoor brooder last night!!! After about 20-30 minutes (and enticement with putting their food right next to it) they took to it, “survived” the night (actually I survived the night ) and they are loving it!!! Thriving!

Our first chicks last season were under a red heat lamp and brooder plates. I quickly realized I didn’t need the heat lamp and removed it. THIS year I only used the brooder plates until last night when we switched to our “MHP” my husband so kindly helped me with!!

This year I’ve had NO pasty butt and the chicks seem so healthy and active! We plan to transition them to the outdoor coop in a partitioned off safe space immediately after the Easter weekend. I’m a NERVOUS WRECK because it’s MINNESOTA and our coop/run has electricity but is not heated. But I’m going to keep researching your wonderful advice and go for it!!

Any words of wisdom for this Minnesota mama would be welcomed!! Thanks again for all the fabulous posts and wisdom and great photos!!! Here are some of mine! Ps I don’t have any WINTER pix of our coop/run but we wrapped the run in clear/opaque plastic so it’s out of the wind/weather.

 

[fuzzi]

I just got ten new day oId chicks last week (my second time raising chicks). My first ever hens (13 lovely ladies) are a year old and are doing well in the “Chicken Mansion” my dear wonderful handy husband built for me (not necessarily for them!! )

So not to drag this out… I’ve been HOPING to raise my chicks as naturally as possible and I saw this thread and Azygous’ essay so with her encouragement and direction and all of your WONDERFUL advice and photos, we JUST last night made our first ever “Mama’s Heating Pad den/nest” and put it in their indoor brooder last night!!! After about 20-30 minutes (and enticement with putting their food right next to it) they took to it, “survived” the night (actually I survived the night ) and they are loving it!!! Thriving!

Our first chicks last season were under a red heat lamp and brooder plates. I quickly realized I didn’t need the heat lamp and removed it. THIS year I only used the brooder plates until last night when we switched to our “MHP” my husband so kindly helped me with!!

This year I’ve had NO pasty butt and the chicks seem so healthy and active! We plan to transition them to the outdoor coop in a partitioned off safe space immediately after the Easter weekend. I’m a NERVOUS WRECK because it’s MINNESOTA and our coop/run has electricity but is not heated. But I’m going to keep researching your wonderful advice and go for it!!

Any words of wisdom for this Minnesota mama would be welcomed!! Thanks again for all the fabulous posts and wisdom and great photos!!! Here are some of mine! Ps I don’t have any WINTER pix of our coop/run but we wrapped the run in clear/opaque plastic so it’s out of the wind/weather.

View attachment 3457630View attachment 3457631View attachment 3457632View attachment 3457633View attachment 3457632View attachment 3457633View attachment 3457634View attachment 3457635View attachment 3457636View attachment 3457637View attachment 3457638View attachment 3457639View attachment 3457640View attachment 3457641View attachment 3457642View attachment 3457643View attachment 3457644

I unplugged my MHP this week, for my 5 week old chicks. Yes, I'm in NC and it's not as cold as MN, but from everything I've read here they should be fine with a warm and dry place to run to as needed, and one with no drafts.

I was the nervous wreck as temps dropped down into the 20s in my open hoop coop with only a MHP and some straw between my biddies and freezing. They were fine, I lost sleep, ha.

P.S. Love the pics!

 

[Chixchik]

I unplugged my MHP this week, for my 5 week old chicks. Yes, I'm in NC and it's not as cold as MN, but from everything I've read here they should be fine with a warm and dry place to run to as needed, and one with no drafts.

I was the nervous wreck as temps dropped down into the 20s in my open hoop coop with only a MHP and some straw between my biddies and freezing. They were fine, I lost sleep, ha.

P.S. Love the pics!

Thanks for the encouragement! I’ll keep posting updates after Easter! We were stationed in Goldsboro and I FELL IN LOVE with North Carolina!!

 

[fuzzi]

Here's my setup:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26589783

And this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26587205

 

[fuzzi]

Thanks for the encouragement! I’ll keep posting updates after Easter! We were stationed in Goldsboro and I FELL IN LOVE with North Carolina!!

I'm closer to the ocean. The weather can be beastly in the middle of summer, but everywhere there's air conditioning. We get one snowfall a year, maybe 4" (none this year!)

And this, the natives are really friendly, nice...for the most part.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

THIS year I only used the brooder plates until last night when we switched to our “MHP” my husband so kindly helped me with!!

This year I’ve had NO pasty butt and the chicks seem so healthy and active!

Bravo!! This has happened to me for the past 2 years. I TRY to switch over FROM MHP to a plate but I have switched BACK to MHP each time. I just can't get the plate to resemble what I want and I feel like the particular plate that I bought is to hot! It's a fire hazard if I wrap in a pillow case or have it up against wood shavings or hay, pretty much all of the things I do with MHP. LOVE your setup!

 

[Chixchik]

Here's my setup:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26589783

And this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/fuzzis-chicken-journal.1550586/post-26587205

This is great