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

[Redufresne]

Swollen bulge on side of neck: I know I should ask this on a different forum, but this one gets me the most help. I have one slow growing chick who came to me with pasty butt, quickly alleviated. I think this one is male, because tail feathers slow to grow, very much the runt, but also very friendly and active. They are all five weeks old and the runt is one of two black austrolorps. Today, this little guy let me pick him up and I saw he had a huge bulge on the left side of his neck. I suppose it could be his crop, but it's way off to his left and seems to be bare of feathers. He also has weird, unsoft feathers in some spots, unlike the other, soft well-feathered ladies. He's active and as busy and bossy as ever. They have run of a large area (so, yeah, they've been eating lots of greens) and I also make sure they have grit (plus the pebbled dirt from the ground). He did not like me touching this bulge. Seems high and to the left for a crop issue, bt he's a runt, so hard to tell for a newbie like me. I didnt isolate him, and they were all roosting this evening, seemingly happy. I have not given them medicine of any kind, other than a bit of probiotic, taking an irganc approach. I held a few of the other birds and they seemed normal. The other austrlorp is skittish and wont let me hokd her. She also doesnt want treats, so no persuading her to me (yeah, they are an odd pair). Thoughts about the bulge? I didnt isolate him, as it was getting dark, and they seemed content to roost. Im not taking a chicken to a vet, but if I'm doing something wrong, I'd like to know and fix my behavior.

 

[aart]

Nope, they don't need it, but they all congregated on it when I first put them in there,
as they were 'afraid' of the shavings having never seen them before.....
...... it must have looked and felt 'safe' I guess, being same material as the top of the MHP in the brooder.


All quiet in there tonite. I did add a longer towel over the top that made loose side walls in their 'cave'.
I can't quite see under there, it being so low to the floor and me not bending well......
......I'd have to **** near stand on my head, and multi-focal lenses don't work well at oblique angles.

 

[lalaland]

redufresne,

sounds like a very stuffed crop to me. Check first thing in the morning, the crop will be pretty empty by then. If the bulge is gone in the morning, then you are seeing the crop! when the skin is stretched with a full crop in a chick, the feathers seem more scanty....

 

[Jensownzoo]

maybe what shes saying with having her cave backwards is they use the back as the entrance. I think what she means with the straw is she has it built up but not against it, so they can burrow in, or maybe one side is open. Maybe she justs needs to clarify

Clarification it is!

It's not higher in the back, it's all a single level as all the chicks in there are basically the same height. This was built very quickly out of scrap lumber inbetween catching the goats after they escaped yet again. :/ The front part has a little less space for them to go through to get under the MHP due to the lumber used. Since they're smaller right now, I put the big opening toward the back where it is protected from the wind via tarp and loosely covered about 2/3 of it with straw--they can get out that way if they want to and any crowding back there will just push the straw out of the way. Also, if I oriented it this way I didn't have to cut a notch out for the cord...I was being semi-lazy. I do need to add a metal support strap in the center of the thing so the pad will hold the chicks as they get heavier. I'll take some uncovered pics when I go to do that.

The kennels that I have my 11 week old pullets and chicks in are butted up against each other, so this is functioning as a flock introduction as well. One of the pullets was Very Concerned when I was catching all the chicks to put them under MHP. The rest were focused on goat antics. Hopefully that means the final integration will go smoothly.

So aart, you're not the only one who's nervous about their chickies being outside tonight! I came home earlier than usual so I can go to bed earlier so I can go check on them at the crack of dawn...

 

[bruceha2000]

......I'd have to **** near stand on my head, and multi-focal lenses don't work well at oblique angles.

You can say THAT again. Man, can't see anything up close if you can't get your head in just the right place.

It's not higher in the back, it's all a single level as all the chicks in there are basically the same height. This was built very quickly out of scrap lumber inbetween catching the goats after they escaped yet again.

The front part has a little less space for them to go through to get under the MHP due to the lumber used. Since they're smaller right now, I put the big opening toward the back where it is protected from the wind via tarp and loosely covered about 2/3 of it with straw--they can get out that way if they want to and any crowding back there will just push the straw out of the way. Also, if I oriented it this way I didn't have to cut a notch out for the cord...I was being semi-lazy. I do need to add a metal support strap in the center of the thing so the pad will hold the chicks as they get heavier. I'll take some uncovered pics when I go to do that.

The kennels that I have my 11 week old pullets and chicks in are butted up against each other, so this is functioning as a flock introduction as well. One of the pullets was Very Concerned when I was catching all the chicks to put them under MHP. The rest were focused on goat antics. Hopefully that means the final integration will go smoothly.

So aart, you're not the only one who's nervous about their chickies being outside tonight! I came home earlier than usual so I can go to bed earlier so I can go check on them at the crack of dawn...

Well then the "back" is really the "front"

Makes sense to have the larger opening facing the tarped wall so it isn't a wind tunnel. Just because the "front door" doesn't face the open part of the coop doesn't mean it isn't the front door

 

[aart]

I was going to get up at 5 as usual and go check them...but slept in until 6:30,
chicks are fine, but it's still about 40F out there.
Tonite and the next few nights will be the real test as it's supposed to go below freezing.

Wish I had a coop cam....so I could watch what's going on out there without moving my lazy butt outta this chair.

 

[Coop de Grass]

I was going to get up at 5 as usual and go check them...but slept in until 6:30,
chicks are fine, but it's still about 40F out there.
Tonite and the next few nights will be the real test as it's supposed to go below freezing.

Wish I had a coop cam....so I could watch what's going on out there without moving my lazy butt outta this chair.

Brr! It is currently 31F in balmy NJ.

The coop cam is wonderful to have, but super addictive! I have finally weened myself from documenting every movement of the 7 hens! I used to keep a diary of who went into which nestbox when and when they left it. What can I say, I was new and it was sooooo exciting!

These days it is helpful in making sure everyone is in for the night, and and also for seeing when that Broody hen finally gets herself into a nest box and lays an egg!

I have a Nest cam. It is only an indoor camera, and is fixed. If I could afford it I would have at least two in the coop. And also have a pan and tilt camera. Next cam is for outdoors.

BTW, can't see up close without those magnifier thingies. Had lasik 10 years ago and opted for distance... those darn pill bottles are impossible to read!

 

[MesMama]

I was going to get up at 5 as usual and go check them...but slept in until 6:30,
chicks are fine, but it's still about 40F out there.
Tonite and the next few nights will be the real test as it's supposed to go below freezing.

Wish I had a coop cam....so I could watch what's going on out there without moving my lazy butt outta this chair.

I had this thought as well! I worry about one not getting under mama so I've been going out to check before I go to bed (they're always all under so I need to stop worrying lol) and it's been cold and windy! Yikes! Plus being able to watch them whenever I want would be fun, they're so entertaining!

 

[MesMama]

I was waking around with my bigs yesterday feeling like the Pied Piper because I had meal worms in my coat pocket hehe, just enjoying my chickens and realizing that I am more that a little anxious about letting the littles out with the bigs Most of my concern comes from the fact that the fencing is just regular livestock wire fencing, with the square holes more than enough room for little chickies to escape. Our pasture is 1 acre so it's more than enough room for them, my bigs graze all over the entire acre...so I just stood there yesterday wondering, will the littles be "allowed" to be with the bigs? Last year when I had those two broody hatched chicks, at some point-maybe 4 weeks? the chicks kind of did their own thing, just the two of them. So I'm not sure whether that was because one was a roo and he was taking his lady and making his own flock or whether the bigs isolated them?
Anyway, so much unknown here, sorry for rambling and being off topic...again lol! I'm just envisioning letting the littles out and them scattering around the whole acre, some escaping, us chasing them all over...just utter chaos lol! *sigh*

 

[mobius]

I was going to get up at 5 as usual and go check them...but slept in until 6:30,
chicks are fine, but it's still about 40F out there.
Tonite and the next few nights will be the real test as it's supposed to go below freezing.

Wish I had a coop cam....so I could watch what's going on out there without moving my lazy butt outta this chair.

I have been seriously thinking about a baby monitor so I could at least hear distress peeps or know if a predator was around!