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

[Blooie]

So glad it's working out for you! Oh, and yep, your dues are paid!

@henless I wish your hatch had turned out better. Doesn't look like mine will be very successful here either. At this point 9 out of 27 have hope, but of those 6 have bad air cells. I dunno, we'll see. <sigh>

 

[COChix]

So glad it's working out for you! Oh, and yep, your dues are paid! @henless I wish your hatch had turned out better. Doesn't look like mine will be very successful here either. At this point 9 out of 27 have hope, but of those 6 have bad air cells. I dunno, we'll see.

I had a bad go as well down to 13 from 46. Had an incubator spike early, just candled at day 18. Not sure I will hatch any..guess this is how it can go.

 

[COChix]

This is the way I've always done it. I've been brooding chicks with a heat pad for a lot of years now when I had an odd chick or two that didn't warrant running a heat lamp. last year I started using a pad exclusively. I like it so much better than the lamp!

I like your avatar, are the four eggs in the bottom row Easter Egger eggs? Some of those EE's sure pop out big eggs!

Nice that you have had success doing it this way, so many ways to raise chicks. Yes those are our EE eggs. Ok I guess I should correct myself. Two our are EE and two are offspring of our BO x Crosses. Little one the friekdiest of our flock lays a huge egg.

Will have to dig up a pic. Look the magic of the Internet you don't have to wait.


Just a hijack warning....
Little One's Egg

Our five EE eggs, our original flock.

Little One

Taking a nap after eating some crickets and water. She was ill after shipment, like a drunken sailor. Didn't think she would live. Couldn't hold herself up, sit-up nothing.

She and I have a very special and tight relationship. Whenever I am out with the flock she pesters me for pets and such. Pulls on my shirt and often jumps up to be held.

And now back to the regularly scheduled MHP thread. , glad I am among those that talk chicken and understand.

 

[ksguy]

Got a first try at an MHP setup in my brooder. I'm adding 3 chicks to my flock and using the bottom half of an XL plastic dog crate to brood them in. They're 5 days old - I got them Saturday and they were under a heat lamp until I finished this setup.

MHP is set up on one end. I "helped" them in there initially, and I thought they'd died in there, they stayed so long. Eventually they came wobbling out for more food, all toasty warm. Now, though, they won't go back in! Not sure why. I waited until they were fall-down sleepy on the cool side of the brooder and sort of set them in there, and they just weaseled their way back out. In the weaseling process one wound up on top of it and decided to flop down there. The other two joined her, and there they lay, in a fuzzy clump. The probe thermometer tells me that each enclosed end is around 100* and the middle section next to the opening is around 80*, so they've got a wide range of temps in there. Should I change anything here?

 

[junebuggena]

Got a first try at an MHP setup in my brooder. I'm adding 3 chicks to my flock and using the bottom half of an XL plastic dog crate to brood them in. They're 5 days old - I got them Saturday and they were under a heat lamp until I finished this setup.

MHP is set up on one end. I "helped" them in there initially, and I thought they'd died in there, they stayed so long. Eventually they came wobbling out for more food, all toasty warm. Now, though, they won't go back in! Not sure why. I waited until they were fall-down sleepy on the cool side of the brooder and sort of set them in there, and they just weaseled their way back out. In the weaseling process one wound up on top of it and decided to flop down there. The other two joined her, and there they lay, in a fuzzy clump. The probe thermometer tells me that each enclosed end is around 100* and the middle section next to the opening is around 80*, so they've got a wide range of temps in there. Should I change anything here?

They may be too warm in there. Can you make the arch a bit higher? Might help.

 

[aart]

@Aart cute chicks and any unzipped yet?

One more hatched overnight, not the second pipper-no change there....and another 6 are pipped.
Mill chicks using MHP like pros.

 

[GardenNut]

I guess it's time to renew my membership. My Easter HAL was a dismal failure, but I did have one hatch. My brave little Merida. She was all alone in the bator for 2 days. Since she was all alone, I had to go shopping for her some buddies. I ended up getting 4 Barred Rocks for her to hang with. They all love their Mama pad. They like to play on top. Then everyone under for a warm up & nap. Merida is always in the middle of the others. They are 4 days older than she is. Merida is 2 days old. Merida still likes to go off on her own. Be it on top of the mountain or in her space ship, lol. These pics were taken yesterday. Merida's first day out of the bator & in the brooder. My brooder is in my barn next to the adult coops. Temps were down to 48 last night. Everyone is fine.

Merida is adorable! I admire her independence and survivor attitude!

 

[dyorto]

My chicks are 2 weeks now. It's supposed to get up to 60 today. Might set up a spot to take them on a field trip outside for a bit.

 

[poodlechicks]

All chicks are so adorable. I can't wait for mine to arrive!! I have the heating pad, towel and everything else but the cave. I am still deciding if I use a plastic rectangular basket I have. Even though it looks like a cave and I'm able to make it higher at the entrance, it still measures 6 inches high. That height I can't change. Maybe I could use it when the chicks are bigger?

 

[Naturalchicken]

I never have! I just make sure it is on level ground and the thick 2x10s keep predators out. There is also a chicken wire barrier going 3 feet up and bird netting on the rest.