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

[Blooie]

That's fantastic! Gosh, I must lead a boring life if I'm so overjoyed about there being no poop stuck on a chick's hiney! <sigh> Li-ife...oh li---ife...come out come out wherever you are!!

 

[dreiman9]

Did some reading of this thread and decided to use this method instead of the lamp for my first chicks. Testing my 12x15 pad right now to make sure it stays on all night. Temp reading on high when it is pinned between the pad and the aluminum pan is holding around 120

 

[Blooie]

Whoa! You're likely to end up with fried chicken with 120 degrees. Not sure what you mean about the aluminum pan, though. If you are measuring between the aluminum and the pad, you are really going to read high,but even that sounds way too warm. And with the print side up, as you photo shows, that's not even the warmest side of the pad!

More information about what you have planned will help us help you better. We want this to work as well for you as it does for us, and our temps under the pad usually run in the low to high 80s......at last those of us who measure.

 

[Beekissed]

Two pair of bungies...one on inside of pillowcase and one on the outside?

Nope... just the one set. I just showed them on the bare wire pic so that folks could see how I was suspending the HP on the underside of the wire. Took those off after the pic, put the pillow case on and then reapplied them . They help keep the pillowcase from sagging underneath the frame and preventing the chicks from having a good, close contact to the underside of the pad.

 

[Beekissed]

I'm sure theres a way. If necessary I'll just make another one. However, I did put a thermometer in there, 2 inches off the ground, and it read 90* (I have it on high), do you still think I should bring it down more Blooie?

These are my just hatched legbar babies enjoying their heating pad mommy! 8 born yesterday, 2 born early this morning.
I have them in a 50 gallon storage box as well.

I agree with Blooie on this one...the HP is a contact heater, not a radiant heater. I'd bring it down so they have to squat a little to get under it and can sleep comfortably with the warm close to their backs. If you want the full effect of the "mama like" brooder, that's the way it will work best.

 

[melnjerm]

I did. They're all happy little campers!

 

[azygous]

Did some reading of this thread and decided to use this method instead of the lamp for my first chicks. Testing my 12x15 pad right now to make sure it stays on all night. Temp reading on high when it is pinned between the pad and the aluminum pan is holding around 120

What sort of brooder set-up are you planning that employs an aluminum pan or foil? I can't even begin to picture it unless you're planning on frying bacon.

 

[dreiman9]

What sort of brooder set-up are you planning that employs an aluminum pan or foil? I can't even begin to picture it unless you're planning on frying bacon.

Yea sorry, pan was just there to test it and make sure I didn't burn my house down while I was seeing if it would stay on for more than two hours. Planning on making a contraption similar to someone's sketch on page two. Wire shelf being held up with wooden dowels at an angle. Was testing high temp because it wasn't feeling that warm but I guess it is plenty warm at high. I'll test again when my setup is complete at different temps. Good news at least is that it is still on and same temp 10 hours later

 

[aart]

Did some reading of this thread and decided to use this method instead of the lamp for my first chicks. Testing my 12x15 pad right now to make sure it stays on all night. Temp reading on high when it is pinned between the pad and the aluminum pan is holding around 120

120F on pad itself is what I got on my older plastic encased pad(without fabric cover)....too hot for their little feet.
Not surprised you got that reading between pad and solid metal pan....
....wonder what temp was on other side of pan?....hard to measure without one of those infared thermometers.

 

[Hholly]

Here's my brood in their new digs. They seem to like the extra room. The MHP is working well. They're growing and changing so fast!