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

[Blooie]

My birds seem to play king of the hill and hide and seek on top of and under the MHP more than using it for warmth. Is this normal?

BTW a 4 week old chick can survive 20 degree temperatures outside with no heat source and have no ill effects from it...

I had one escape yesterday and we could not find it. I found it this afternoon at 5pm outside free ranging..

Yep, climbing on top, and running back and forth from under to top to under again is all pretty normal at 4 weeks! But just to be on the safe side you might try turning the heating pad down a notch or raising your frame up a bit and see if that makes a difference in how much time they spend underneath. It seldom does at this point, but what are you out by trying?

I know they are tough, and I think a lot of that has to do with having one warm spot and the rest of their pen at ambient temperatures. They don't require a lengthy time of acclimation when they are introduced to the coop at first. Good job, Ralphie!! Mama Heating Pad Mama is proud of you!

 

[Hholly]

My birds seem to play king of the hill and hide and seek on top of and under the MHP more than using it for warmth. Is this normal?

BTW a 4 week old chick can survive 20 degree temperatures outside with no heat source and have no ill effects from it...

I had one escape yesterday and we could not find it. I found it this afternoon at 5pm outside free ranging..

Yes, seems normal as they grow and feather out.

 

[duluthralphie]

These guys are only a week old. the ones running and playing. I could watch them all day.

Blooie I so want to thank you and everyone here for their ideas on the MHP. I took some of the ideas, reject others until I got a system that works for me.

I took the blocks off the MHP after I lost those 2. I went to a simpler system with no place for them to crawl into. I use wire backing on the heating pad to make it semi-pliable, and just bend it to the shape and height I need. In my first brooder ( the one Blooie commented was small. ( it is but the birds are only in it a few days.) Then I wrap the whole thing in press n seal.

I use dowel sticks pushed through the hardware cloth on the cage sides to hold the MHP up and down so it stays at the desired levels.

The best thing about the MHP is it is clean and easy. I do not have half the mess and smell I had with the heat lamps in every corner of the house. Someone suggested diapers, I went one step further and bought adult bed pads, They do a wonder soaking up the liquid and make cleaning the pad and cage a breeze, so thanks for the diaper Idea.

And of course this is just an excuse to post more fuzzy butt pictures, these hatched Monday and Tuesday, and are resting on top of the MHP. This is a bowl of Creamettes!

 

[Hholly]

@duluthralphie They're adorable! What breed are they?

 

[duluthralphie]

@duluthralphie They're adorable! What breed are they?

Those are all Cream Legbars aka Creamettes.

However, do not call them creamettes on the Cream legbar threads, it will get you a deluge of hate mail. I call the girls creamettes and the boys creamers, or when talking in general about them Creamettes..

Even the white one is a creamette. It is what is officially known as a "white Sport". It has a double recessive gene in it causing her to be white. I am actually hoping to get more of them. This is the second one I have hatched. The first was sickly and died. One of my original trio must have had the recessive gene and now on generation 3 it is expressing itself. If I could get to generation 4, I should have all white sports reliably.

 

[bruceha2000]

Aww, thanks, LG.....um, your check is in the mail.

Don't send money, send a gift certificate to her local Humane Society

 

[lazy gardener]

These guys are only a week old. the ones running and playing. I could watch them all day.

Blooie I so want to thank you and everyone here for their ideas on the MHP. I took some of the ideas, reject others until I got a system that works for me.

I took the blocks off the MHP after I lost those 2. I went to a simpler system with no place for them to crawl into. I use wire backing on the heating pad to make it semi-pliable, and just bend it to the shape and height I need. In my first brooder ( the one Blooie commented was small. ( it is but the birds are only in it a few days.) Then I wrap the whole thing in press n seal.

I use dowel sticks pushed through the hardware cloth on the cage sides to hold the MHP up and down so it stays at the desired levels.

The best thing about the MHP is it is clean and easy. I do not have half the mess and smell I had with the heat lamps in every corner of the house. Someone suggested diapers, I went one step further and bought adult bed pads, They do a wonder soaking up the liquid and make cleaning the pad and cage a breeze, so thanks for the diaper Idea.

And of course this is just an excuse to post more fuzzy butt pictures, these hatched Monday and Tuesday, and are resting on top of the MHP. This is a bowl of Creamettes!

So, Ralph, what's the cost/egg or chick for you now??? cute little birds!

 

[lazy gardener]

Don't send money, send a gift certificate to her local Humane Society

You can bypass the local HS. They got their money out of me! But, you can do a gift certificate to the HS in W Vt. for Bruce. I hear he's looking for a good LGD.

 

[duluthralphie]

So, Ralph, what's the cost/egg or chick for you now??? cute little birds!

Cost??

I have no idea, I spoil my birds so much I probably have $1,440 per bird into each one I hatch. I am not sure I am doing this all correctly. BUT I sell the little girls for $15 each. So I am only losing $1,425 on each sale.

I sell the little boys for $5. but I have actually given a few away. I will end up making soup out of most of them.


BTW the "white sport" is not for sale. Unless you write me a very large check, they are kind of rare.

 

[rcstanley]

So had a second chick die on this system. The first one was probably my bad. The second one went to the back of the cave (on top) where it could hear the other chicks, and got too cold and died. Didn't understand to go around. Do you have the backs of the caves open? Any ideas on preventing this? I've put a beefier light in to keep the brooder warmer to buy the chicks time as they learn.