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

[lazy gardener]

Ok, any one still here? My chickies have been increasingly unhappy at bedtime. Hanging around outside their cave and yelling. There are 9 of them, they are almost 3 weeks old. I had it turned down to 4, but just boosted it up to 5. They are under the small pad. So, I'm wondering if they are not happy with it b/c it's too cold, or not warm enough, or maybe not enough room for all of them to get comfortable (close enough to the sides for comfort, but far enough away so they are not too warm.) When they're settling for the night, they bump and jostle around underneath, so that the cave sometimes looks like a bucking bronco. Temp tonight is 46, but it will be down close to freezing by morning. I just put the big pad together and will run it out, change it out, if they're still grumbling. Blooie, got input about how many and how long for the littles will be happy under the small pad???

 

[aart]

Post a pic?

 

[Blooie]

Sounds like they are trying to find a sweet spot. I think for that many at that age, the larger pad is a good idea, especially if it can hang down the sides a little bit. You might try raising the front of your cave a bit too, to accommodate their increased size, By three weeks, very few of mine were still under, even when it was 24 degrees - most were cuddled around and on top.

Agree with aart - pictures would help.

 

[lazy gardener]

Aart: That would take an act of congress, especially this late at night! I'm a techno idiot. The pad is 12 x 15, the apex of the curve is about 5" high. Inside foot print is probably 12 x 12. It's just a basic curve, pushed up against the wall on the back, towel draped down over a bit of the opening on the front.

 

[aart]

Make it flat so they can touch their back to it.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'll go out and check on them, take the new pad with me. I've got it warming up now, to pre-test it. One thing I've done, and will continue to do is put electrical tape over the junction between the cord and the attachment location at the pad it'self.

 

[lazy gardener]

I think if I flattened it out at the back, they'd have an even harder time fitting under there.

They've settled. There are little faces peering out the front, and it's shifting around at the back, saw a beak sticking out there also.

Hope to pick up some boxes tomorrow on the way home from work to make the double layer affair.

 

[Blooie]

Aart: That would take an act of congress, especially this late at night! I'm a techno idiot. The pad is 12 x 15, the apex of the curve is about 5" high. Inside foot print is probably 12 x 12. It's just a basic curve, pushed up against the wall on the back, towel draped down over a bit of the opening on the front.

Sounds like mine....try bending your frame if you can so it's lower in the back than in the front so they can have contact with the heat back there it if they want. I would think if they were too warm they'd be totally avoiding the cave or panting or something more indicative of overheating.

 

[lazy gardener]

They seem to hang out in the middle of it, not at the sides. I'll switch out tomorrow, and do some re-configuring with the bigger pad. Can't believe I've got less than a week to go before the new littles will be here.

 

[katbriar]

Just brought home two new girls (two days old) from the feed store- it was a hour drive and they made a racket all the way home. I left them in the box in the car while I got the brooder set up. When I went to get them they had fallen asleep together in a corner of the box.

Dipped their beaks in the water to make sure they had a drink, Checked for pasty butts and slipped them under mama heating pad. They made a few quiet cheeps and gentle trills and then silence.

I've been sitting here 20 minutes and haven't heard a thing! Success! I had worried about having only two- doesn't seem like they're going to have any issue staying warm!