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

[mobius]

Yes what is UP with them only wanting to be on top? mine have been doing that since two weeks! And do not spend much if any time under!

Love the dome, that is just about perfect, BTW!

I may have figured it out; I bent/lowered the MHP a couple inches or so and NOW they are scooting under. Tricky little chickies!! lol

 

[dyorto]

I moved the brooder kennel from downstairs to upstairs because I didn't feel they got enough light down there. Now they just prefer to sleep in the sun rays instead of under the MHP

 

[jrjoplin]

Chicks arrive in a week and a half.

I added a vinyl top to the board that covers the heating pad.



It's actually a 12"x24" peel and stick tile ($2.50 at Lowes) that i trimmed to fit. My idea was for ease of cleaning but now I'm wondering if I even need the towel to cover it. It has an embossed texture so I don't think that slipping will be an issue. I'm wondering if they will get on top with the sides being so high (who am I kidding of course they will find a way to get on top). I guess the question is are there pros and/or cons to having the towel in the brooder.

 

[mobius]

Chicks arrive in a week and a half.

I added a vinyl top to the board that covers the heating pad.



It's actually a 12"x24" peel and stick tile ($2.50 at Lowes) that i trimmed to fit. My idea was for ease of cleaning but now I'm wondering if I even need the towel to cover it. It has an embossed texture so I don't think that slipping will be an issue. I'm wondering if they will get on top with the sides being so high (who am I kidding of course they will find a way to get on top). I guess the question is are there pros and/or cons to having the towel in the brooder.

If you still want to use a towel, I am having luck with two plastic grocery bags slid one over each end of the folded towel. Taping the bags together might help too. I would think towel is just a bit more insulation and a bit more cuddly! Blooie mentions that they like the overhang from the towel too, so as to feel more secure and hidey-hole. But perhaps not necessary with your very nice looking set-up (I am impressed). And when they get bigger, it looks like you could just flip the whole thing over.

 

[GardenNut]

Hi all!

I'm considering 2 options for the MHP frame: One is a close mesh, wire vegetable bin. I thought I'd turn it upside down. It has no rough edges and is quite sturdy. It's 10" long, 8" wide, and a little under 6" high and is open on one end with a slight overhang when upside down. The second is a sturdy wire cooling rack, 15" long, 9" wide, but only 2.5" high. I prefer the vegetable bin, but neither slopes in the back, and the wire rack is open on both ends and seems to low. If the vegetable bin isn't too large, I figured with the MHP and the towel to cover the whole thing (as in Blooie's original post), it just might work. I'm getting 4 buff orpington chicks, so both options may be too roomy, at least at first. I also found a cardboard box about the same size as the vegetable bin that I could cut a door in on one side. I took pictures, but I'm having iTunes software issues and can't upload them!

My second question is, I'm considering brooding the chicks on my back screened in porch. The door has extra "hardware-type cloth" reinforcement covering the bottom half of the door. But "thinking like a coon," I'm wondering if a coon or possum may chew through the regular screening. The screened in porch connects to my back deck. And being a "first-time chicken mama," I may stick with brooding in the garage or the spare bedroom.

I'm trying not to be overly analytical, but I thought at least get some opinions from my "chicken mentors!"

Thanks!

 

[Bowldy45]

Hey there! I am in NW Montana, and chicks are going out today to coop with just the MHP! I would agree with @bruceha2000 about more ventilation for you, there are some great threads here about it...I need to work on that too (hole saws for drill arrived yesterday!). Blooie lives in northern WY and uses just the MHP. I will not be using a lamp. Hope that helps! I understand too that good ventilation is super-important, but the coop does need to be essentially wind-proof.

Thanks for help and advice!! I do have approx. 5 -- 2" vent holes on the north side of the coop where the wind comes from 90% of the time, along with a sliding window on the west side, and the pop door on the south side. The east side of the coop has 2 big swinging doors I can either open or keep closed, and this is where I can get in to clean the coop and gather eggs (eventually!) LoL. I think after reading more posts and great advice on here, I will be adding more vent holes this week. I have the heating pad ordered, and will be here about 10 days before the chicks get here. Just enough time to set up and test out everything!

 

[jrjoplin]

If you still want to use a towel, I am having luck with two plastic grocery bags slid one over each end of the folded towel. Taping the bags together might help too. I would think towel is just a bit more insulation and a bit more cuddly! Blooie mentions that they like the overhang from the towel too, so as to feel more secure and hidey-hole. But perhaps not necessary with your very nice looking set-up (I am impressed). And when they get bigger, it looks like you could just flip the whole thing over.

I think I remember that about the overhang. I already have a stack of old towels to use so I'll use them. My shelf is adjustable so It will raise as the chicks grow but you are right I could get the same effect by flipping it.

 

[Mitch Mullenax]

I know this a little off topic for this thread but this thread is so active and helpful to those of us who are new it seems to be the place to turn. The ground where I live is no longer frozen!

It's time for a fenced in play yard. Will the fencing that starts out with 1/2 inch opening on the bottom and gradually gets larger at the top stay critter proof? Or will it need to be all 1/2? I already have a small roofed in run attached to the coop with all 1/2 inch for rainy days. I also will put my chickens in at night. How new am I? My chicks arrive April 15. And Mama heating pad is the plan. Ok advise away...

 

[duluthralphie]

I Know, Right?!
I have 4 for 14 hens, they use them all if I leave the fake eggs in all.....otherwise they fight over the fav of the day.

Need to know the actual dimensions.

I read this way wrong to start...


And was going to make my typical comment about nest size...


I being a very precise person, built all my nest yeah big by Yeah big.. Yeah big varies depending on the size of the scrap lumber I find laying around. The chickens do not seem to mind.

I am down to 12 hens in my laying flock, Breeding time and predators have taken their toll. After breeding season some breeders will rejoin the layers until next spring..

I have12 nests for the 12 birds. They use 2 most days, some days they will use the third one. I have no idea how they decide which nest to use. It changes daily. There will be one hen in a nest and two others will try to get into that nest with her. When there are empty ones galore.

 

[duluthralphie]

I know this a little off topic for this thread but this thread is so active and helpful to those of us who are new it seems to be the place to turn. The ground where I live is no longer frozen!

It's time for a fenced in play yard. Will the fencing that starts out with 1/2 inch opening on the bottom and gradually gets larger at the top stay critter proof? Or will it need to be all 1/2? I already have a small roofed in run attached to the coop with all 1/2 inch for rainy days. I also will put my chickens in at night. How new am I? My chicks arrive April 15. And Mama heating pad is the plan. Ok advise away...

I am not sure what kind of wire that is, I have not seen it, but if the holes get larger than an inch and you have a weasel within a 100 miles he will find that hole and crawl through it.