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

[Fire Ant Farm]

Nope, you aren't wrong. Had to go out and turn it back on, and remember to select the "stay on" button. Power had been off for a number of hours before we realized it, but the week old chicks out there were just great - the insulation of all the straw under, around and on top of them held enough residual warmth and combined with their body heat they got through that blizzard just fine. Even I'm starting to get a little confused on the heating pads now....

The one most of us have is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

The one Henless doesn't have the auto-off feature at all so no need to remember to reset it. It also comes back on by itself after a power outage.

http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...ology-blue/000771-810-000.html#sz=12&start=18

Henless, if you would click on the link and confirm that, I'd appreciate it!

I'm glad it isn't only me that's confused! I'll wait to hear from Henless...

Thanks so much, folks!

- Ant Farm

 

[daxigait]

Nope, you aren't wrong.   Had to go out and turn it back on, and remember to select the "stay on" button.  Power had been off for a number of hours before we realized it, but the week old chicks out there were just great - the insulation of all the straw under, around and on top of them held enough residual warmth and combined with their body heat they got through that blizzard just fine.  Even I'm starting to get a little confused on the heating pads now....

The one most of us have is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-912-XpressHeat-Heating-Extra/dp/B005NZ66KU/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425566319&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

The one Henless doesn't have the auto-off feature at all so no need to remember to reset it.  It also comes back on by itself after a power outage. 

http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...ology-blue/000771-810-000.html#sz=12&start=18

Henless, if you would click on the link and confirm that, I'd appreciate it!

does that second linked pad have the override?

 

[Blooie]

does that second linked pad have the override?

It doesn't need it. It doesn't turn itself off after an hour or two - stays on all the time.

 

[bruceha2000]

Did you guys know that a feed store is using Mama Heating Pad for the chicks they are selling? It's Urban Chicken in Raleigh, NC. Pretty doggone cool, huh? Also I talked about this system with one of people at My Pet Chicken when I ordered my hatching eggs. It wasn't Alex, who is on here quite a bit, but someone else and I can't remember his name. Anyway, we were settling on a delivery date and I told him as late in March as possible, because I brood my chicks outdoors and we are in unpredictable Wyoming. He asked a ton of questions about it and I told him about the thread. Next thing I knew I was here on the thread and saw MyPetChicken in the little box that tells which members are visiting. I thought that was kinda cool~

I went to Urban Chicken's page but didn't find anything related to MHP. How did you find out they are (wisely) using MHP instead of heat lamps?

You know, I have both sizes of the Brinsea brooder. It is certainly better than the heat lamp (I remain convinced that the reason why I lost several of my first batch of chicks was my inability to keep the temp from going too hot early on - and they were WIRED from the light being on all the time).

However, I have watched three subsequent batches carefully, and honestly, they don't really seem to find the Brinsea brooders very... well, comforting. They seem to only use them when they really "have" to and prefer to avoid it (even when a little chilly).

So, I'm doing my first hatch from eggs, and I'm ordering a heating pad or two and setting up a MHP in the brooder. I suspect it'll be better than the Brinsea.

(Anyone care to save me some fretting and drama and re-post a link to the correct ones without auto-shut-off, turn on after power loss, etc.? Amazon would be great, as I have AmazonPrime, thanks to my EXCELLENT brother's Christmas gift...)

- Ant Farm

OR, to be really scientific about it, you could put BOTH a MHP and a Brinsea in the brooder and see what happens.

• Maybe they all use one or the other
• Maybe some use one and some use the other
• Maybe the chicks use both at one time or another and don't have a preference
• Maybe I am overthinking it
  

I'm sure the Brinsea is the preferred choice for nervous chicken owners that figure they need a commercially made product. For the even slightly handy person who watches their wallet, MHP is a clear choice. Given a new heat lamp and reflector can run not much less than, if not MORE than, a heating pad, there isn't a financial incentive to use a heat lamp.

 

[Blooie]

I went to Urban Chicken's page but didn't find anything related to MHP. How did you find out they are (wisely) using MHP instead of heat lamps?

There's a thread where a poster was worried about her chicks - one was cheeping in distress. She outlined her setup, including the heat lamp setup she was using. Then, further down in another post, she said that she got them from Urban Chickens and that they were under a heating pad there and not using a light.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1075704/distressed-chick-read-other-forums-not-sure-what-to-do

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I went to Urban Chicken's page but didn't find anything related to MHP. How did you find out they are (wisely) using MHP instead of heat lamps?


OR, to be really scientific about it, you could put BOTH a MHP and a Brinsea in the brooder and see what happens.

• Maybe they all use one or the other
• Maybe some use one and some use the other
• Maybe the chicks use both at one time or another and don't have a preference
• Maybe I am overthinking it
  

I'm sure the Brinsea is the preferred choice for nervous chicken owners that figure they need a commercially made product. For the even slightly handy person who watches their wallet, MHP is a clear choice. Given a new heat lamp and reflector can run not much less than, if not MORE than, a heating pad, there isn't a financial incentive to use a heat lamp.

That's a great idea! I'll need to see if the brooder can be set up large enough to do that. The big Brinsea takes up a lot of space...

I'm doing my first hatch, and today was day 7 - and 15/16 are alive and kicking. I've got two weeks to get my act together...

- Ant Farm

 

[henless]

Nope, you aren't wrong. Had to go out and turn it back on, and remember to select the "stay on" button. Power had been off for a number of hours before we realized it, but the week old chicks out there were just great - the insulation of all the straw under, around and on top of them held enough residual warmth and combined with their body heat they got through that blizzard just fine. Even I'm starting to get a little confused on the heating pads now....

The one most of us have is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

The one Henless has doesn't have the auto-off feature at all so no need to remember to reset it. It also comes back on by itself after a power outage.

http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...ology-blue/000771-810-000.html#sz=12&start=18

Henless, if you would click on the link and confirm that, I'd appreciate it!

The 2nd link is the one I have. If you read the reviews on, you will see that the reviews are actually for another heating pad. I don't know why they put reviews for a different pad on there.

does that second linked pad have the override?

Like blooie said, there is no override because this pad had no 2 hour auto shut off. It has low-med-high for heat settings is all it has, and on/off.

I went to Urban Chicken's page but didn't find anything related to MHP. How did you find out they are (wisely) using MHP instead of heat lamps?


OR, to be really scientific about it, you could put BOTH a MHP and a Brinsea in the brooder and see what happens.

• Maybe they all use one or the other
• Maybe some use one and some use the other
• Maybe the chicks use both at one time or another and don't have a preference
• Maybe I am overthinking it
  

I'm sure the Brinsea is the preferred choice for nervous chicken owners that figure they need a commercially made product. For the even slightly handy person who watches their wallet, MHP is a clear choice. Given a new heat lamp and reflector can run not much less than, if not MORE than, a heating pad, there isn't a financial incentive to use a heat lamp.

I also have a Premier heat plate which I used for my first & second batch of chicks. This was before the MHP. I love my Premier, except that there is no adjusting the temp. One thing about the Premier, you can use it with lower ambient temps than the Brinsea.

That's a great idea! I'll need to see if the brooder can be set up large enough to do that. The big Brinsea takes up a lot of space...

I'm doing my first hatch, and today was day 7 - and 15/16 are alive and kicking. I've got two weeks to get my act together...

- Ant Farm

Good luck with your Cream Legbar hatch! I'm still waiting on mine to lay. They are getting close. I have a few that are at about 5 1/2 months now. They are getting redder every day.

 

[Hholly]

My babies are coming tomorrow. I flipped the heating pad over and it definitely helps. I'm going to keep them in a warmer room for the first week. Then move them to a cooler room. Then transition to outside.

 

[perchie.girl]

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Okey dokey - heating pads ordered (I may have two brooders running at once, depending on how the shipped egg hatch goes - if they ever get here!!!!!)

Thanks so much, everyone!

- Ant Farm