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

[Beekissed]

Thank you for the excellent help and advice! Definitely helps ease most of my concerns, though of course I am still worried about my babies and scared that I'm going to assume they're fine then have them die or get sick

They have no direct drafts i don't think but have a window in the back door and a window above the front door. Both are almost level with them. So that worries me, I'll get pictures. But they huddle together. Sometimes icant distingush if theres one chicken or two without a light (lately I've been not getting a flashlight cause it bugs them. Much harder to see), cause theyre so close and i worry when it doesnt add up.

But sorry, i don't think i was very clear. I wasn't saying to close up all the ventilation. I just meant the places that shouldn't be open. For example there's a small gap in the door, not big but still, and the slide out tray gets shavings caught on the lip in the coop and.doesn't close fully. That's easy, just a matter of cleaning the shavings out of the way. There's a gap between the nezt box roof and coop wall but that's not really blowing on them since it's not by the roost and aimed down being the nest roof. I don't know. There's just a lot of small dumb little things i more meant rather than closing off all the ventilation

Curious how the chickens made it through the cold and "cruel" night?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Curious how the chickens made it through the cold and "cruel" night? 

Honestly I chickened out (no pun intended ) and put them in the garage last night and tonight (supposed to be just as cold)! Although the garage is pretty cold too, maybe just as, but the floor of their little set up out there is insulated by it plastic, blanket, plastic, cardboard, shavings. I spoil them too much I do believe...

BUT.

They went back out today when it was single digits and all did just dandy! Also when I build a new coop I will leave them out. I just don't really trust that little coop kit, too many little gaps. Plus I'm a worry wart chicken mother and they're so young

But supposed to be back to 30s and 40s after tonight.

And next time they are going to stay outside and tough it out.

 

[eagrbeavr]

Good afternoon everyone. So I got my guinea pig cage, st it up, and it seems its going to work well. I just got done building the cave. I'lve love some opinions.

Heres the pad. Its 12"x15". No auto off. Turns back on after power loss. Three settings.


I fould a cooling just the right size and stapled it to wood measuring at back 2", front 3.5" and 8" deep. I picked 2" for the back by measuring and egg (2.5") figuring thats about the height of a newborn chick and subtracted .5" with them squatting.


Stapled some cardboard to the top to make it more comfortable to walk on.


Taped the heating pad inside and did a temp check. 102 on medium. It appears the low setting is the same. Oh well. Not sending it back now.


Found a sacrificial dish towel, covered the top with packing tape, and stapled it down.


Heres the cage again. 2'x8'x14". The divider can go anywhere or doesnt need to in in there at all. It has two doors. I'm going to swap the panels around to have both doors on the same side. I"m also going to but some sort of barrier part ways up the side, all around,

Thoughts?

 

[aart]

Looks pretty good eagr!

Pic of MHP in the cage?
Does the cage have access doors on top?

 

[eagrbeavr]

Thanks Aart. I had the cage set up last night. Its folded back up now. The chicks arent coming until mid April (ugh). Yes you can access the top from either end. Its in four sections and the two ends fold over onto the inner two, It should work out pretty well with a couple minor tweaks for added safety.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you so much. so how hot should I adjust the thermostat? should I make it 95? so as far as the cave goes I want them to huddle under it? I'm so nervous here but hubby read your thread and has complete confidence. I wish I could be as sure. !! I do feel confident that the thermostat can be adjusted but I'm so worried it won't be warm enough. I'm just afraid I will mess it up somehow and kill them. but huby is all for it so I'm hoping it works. when we get it together for a test run I will show you all pics and you all can tell me what you think

My chicks were satisfied with the temp at 85 in the cave. Just get it running, be sure there's some bedding there to insulate the floor, and stick your hand inside. It should feel nice and warm, comfortable. You'll be delighted with the results. I like to keep my chicks in the house for a couple of nights after they come out of the bator, then move them outdoors. That way, if there are any slow learners, you can be around to hear their distress calls and show them what to do. One night, the whole group ended up pig piling at the opposite end of the brooder b/c they went on a field trip to the water dish, and then just snuggled behind it, with each other.

Don't worry .. be happy! I see in later posts you are getting a grip on your nervousness. I don't think anyone has reported a chick fatality with a MHPB. Certainly not one related to temperature.

And regarding temperatures. An update to my post of last night:

It was -18F at 7 AM today. After feeding my wife and me and doing other stuff, I made Valentines Day breakfast for the girls in the barn. Don't think I'm spoiling them too much

. We have some old oatmeal that we got before we found out that oats grown where wheat has been grown can pick up wheat gluten. DD1 is intolerant. So when it is really cold I sometimes make the working girls breakfast (only time this year). Today it was oatmeal, old wheat based pasta a bit of meat scraps and fat and about a half cup of BOSS.

Took that down at 11 AM when it was merely -7F and laid out the fare for the girls. As you can see it was about 0F in the barn (click the pictures to get the full size ones):



Here they are chowing down. NOTICE they aren't even all fluffed up. They can do WAY better than that when they want to:


Here are Peep and Fae the Cubalayas. As the name suggests they originated in Cuba and are as much game bird based as chicken based. Fluffed and just hanging out in the area just left of the barn door in the second photo. As you can see, this is a very old and not even slightly airtight barn.



ETA: it is supposed to be -16F tonight. I'm not worried about them at all. BTW, this is the coop, it is about 12' to the left of the green door in the second picture. You will note that only the door (which is open) and the panel to the left of it are covered in plastic. The left side of that wall is mirrored on the right behind the door and the side wall of the coop matches: 2x4 welded wire (because it was there) and 1/2" hardware cloth covering the open areas. There is NOTHING tight about this coop, the temp inside is about the same as the rest of the unheated barn. The floor of the barn is dirt so there is some retained heat in the fall, long gone now.

Well, Bruce... I remember one fatality that was reported. Someone had a chick get stuck between pad and wire frame. Found it dead some time later. That's why I completely enclose my pad and frame in a pillow case or similar, and then tape up the whole thing with painters tape so the little buggers can't commit suicide that way. They'll have to be a bit more creative with the suicide game on my watch! I think it was Bee who said they pop out of the egg looking for new and novel ways to commit suicide.

 

[Hholly]

"Today I moved the "wild bunch" out to the garage. Temps are supposed to be around 30F tonight. I gave them a bigger pen lined with straw. Set up the MHP cave and they are all in it. Yay!

I'm so happy to have them out of the spare bedroom! Now I see what y'all meant about the dust, lol.

 

[dreiman9]

Just made this to hold my 12x15 heating pad for when the chicks arrive in the spring. Have a wire shelf that will rest on the wooden dowels, but need to cut that to size still. Will start it sloped from 3inches in the front to 1 inch in the back so they can find their sweet spot. Can get up to 6 inches in height. Looking forward till April when they arrive!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Really like that idea!

 

[aart]

Just made this to hold my 12x15 heating pad for when the chicks arrive in the spring. Have a wire shelf that will rest on the wooden dowels, but need to cut that to size still. Will start it sloped from 3inches in the front to 1 inch in the back so they can find their sweet spot. Can get up to 6 inches in height. Looking forward till April when they arrive!

Cool.
Might want to cut out a few inches the center bottom of the back piece so they can get out if needed.
Leave an inch or so of the back at the sides to keep rack from slipping back.