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

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
I do suspect that a single large pad might not suffice for the entire time 25 chicks will need it. Oh, and maybe the one you currently have is a small? That likely won't be good for more than a couple of days at best. I think it would be no more than about 7.5 sq in per chick. But if your prior losses were to wet chicks, it does seem like a larger area with water they can't get into would be better than the bin. Check back a few pages, @Beekissed posted pictures of water "things" that can be attached to a bottle outside a cage. Don't know if they would be available locally.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Could you not just get a huge box from Costco or some other store that gets stuff in big boxes that you can use at first? I agree with Blooie, you aren't going to get 25 chicks in that plastic bin. Since I see straw all around the outside of the bin, is it in a barn or coop?? If so, just stick the MHP and food and water (get them raised out of the bedding) on the ground. Provide a wind block with plywood, plexiglass, anything you have available. If there isn't a wind problem in that area and there are other chickens, just make an "in coop" brooder space with 1/2" hardware cloth.
The bin is one of those huge ones. Yes I could just raise them on the floor, usually do, but the recent losses made me paranoid and thus this setup, my real concern is the MHP is not big enough.
I tried raising up 40 Guinea keets in a Big Blue Bin like you have. I am spot reading these days so if I missed a detial I am sorry.
I had the same setup Hardware cloth on top heat lamp in one corner.... the Keets kicked up so much shavings the water wicked out of the waterer and soaked the bedding. IT was a nightmare. Doubled by the fact that Mom tried to help and dumped a whole waterer in there and didnt tell me.

My next go round will be either on the ground or in a MHP brooder made with cage wire under the water and feed area. I dont use nipple waterers because I feel the design is flawed added to my climate demands.

If you dont feel one pad is enough you might get two or increase the warming space by using an insulative reflector. Along with curtain drop downs to contain the heat. Remember Keets or Chicks generate a lot of heat all on their own. I am planning on one large pad.
With curtains.

deb

 

[Blooie]

I do not have the nipples, and I was under the impression (probably wrong) that new chick's had trouble with nipples.
I gave this a try last month and lost all the birds to water (I do not know how they got wet) they got cold and could not warm themselves with the heat lamp. So after asking around I was told to check this out. I set it up and put 9 layers under it. Worked wonderfully. But trying to start meat birds and minimum order is 25...ETA: Ha! Sorry I knew better ...

Somebody forgot to tell my little dudes that....they do perfectly well with the nipple waterers and transition to the horizontal ones with no problem at all. I can sure understand how worried you are!! In this video (which starts out dark so don't panic) you can hear them going to town on the waterer when they think the sun came up. They were just a few days old here, and had already been using it a day or two before I took this.

 

[lazy gardener]

Nope, no roosters, @aart And LG, I don't know anyone "locally" to get eggs from....um from whom to get eggs... Lots of folks around here have chickens, but only two with roosters and I'm telling ya, I wouldn't buy eating eggs from either of them, <shudder> Ken said last night that as much as we travel, I should just go post on the Wyoming page where we're going to be - Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, etc. and when, and if any one there has hatching eggs at that time we could pick them up while we're there.

HOWMSOEVAH - Last night about 12:30 we saw a pip...just the tiniest little thing and it looked a lot like x. Not much bigger! I was so excited! I just knew we'd have a chick by sometime today. Woke up at 4:45 to cheeping...and CHEEPING.....and got up. Turned on the light and saw this little critter in there!


Now I just noticed that another egg in there is rocking a bit. So.....woo hoo!! This is a little Olive Egger and his/her name is Yokel.

@lazy gardener . I picked up 26 Black Copper Marans eggs locally. We are mid hatch - 7 so far, 2 more pips, still 7 that are maybe... 10 were tossed as we went along because they were clearly not progressing. The percentage is still not what I eggspected, but better than the eggs I"ve ordered online!

BTW, I could have ordered from this keeper of fine chickens, but since they were about 1.5 hours away, I made the drive.

Fingers crossed for @bluie

congrats on the hatch. Agreed. 1.5 hour drive. I'd make the drive rather than shipping. Good chance for a road trip.

So would this be big enough for 25 chick's for 3 days? I am getting day old chicks shipped to arrive on Friday (hoping they come early) I just found out that we will be out of town for 2 days, Friday and Saturday, to come home Sunday (I love my husband, I love my husband

), so these will be tiny chick's.
SIL is going to come to check on them and replenish food and water. Once I am home I can easily see to their needs, get a bigger MHP. I can run to town today or tomorrow if I must but the only non autoshutoff pad I could find is an hour away....hate to drive all that just for a heating pad.
So, will this surfice for a couple of days or do I need to go get another pad....I need to make a road trip don't i....

I agree with other posters. This set up is too small. If you must make an hour drive for a heating pad, it will be a very small price to pay to ensure the safety of your chicks. Personally, If I had the option, I'd have SIL take those chicks home for the 2 days if she's willing. That pad looks too small. I used a 12 x 24 for 22 chicks and it was a tight fit. You run the risk of them pig piling under there, and the bottom ones getting smothered. Also, you need to have someone around at least for the first day to be sure the chicks are eating and drinking, and not too hot or too cold. Too much can go wrong in those important first 24 hours to have some one just "checking in".

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

 

Could you not just get a huge box from Costco or some other store that gets stuff in big boxes that you can use at first? I agree with Blooie, you aren't going to get 25 chicks in that plastic bin. Since I see straw all around the outside of the bin, is it in a barn or coop?? If so, just stick the MHP and food and water (get them raised out of the bedding) on the ground. Provide a wind block with plywood, plexiglass, anything you have available. If there isn't a wind problem in that area and there are other chickens, just make an "in coop" brooder space with 1/2" hardware cloth. 

The bin is one of those huge ones. Yes I could just raise them on the floor, usually do, but the recent losses made me paranoid and thus this setup, my real concern is the MHP is not big enough.

I do suspect that a single large pad might not suffice for the entire time 25 chicks will need it. Oh, and maybe the one you currently have is a small? That likely won't be good for more than a couple of days at best. I think it would be no more than about 7.5 sq in per chick. But if your prior losses were to wet chicks, it does seem like a larger area with water they can't get into would be better than the bin. Check back a few pages, @Beekissed
 posted pictures of water "things" that can be attached to a bottle outside a cage. Don't know if they would be available locally.

nothing is available local here. If I need to go shopping I can, but may as well just buy another hotpad, then fuss with anything else. Just trying to find a way not to go to town just for one thing first.
The first batch were on the floor, with a standard chick waterer )with rocks in it) and a heat lamp. I had raised 2 batches this way previously without issue. I do not know how they got wet...but I found them all soaked huddled under the lamp. Figured I needed to change everything. So I grabbed the largest tote (almost the Christmas tree one is bigger) and set up the MHP.
I will go to town...just such a long way.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Nope, no roosters, @aart And LG, I don't know anyone "locally" to get eggs from....um from whom to get eggs... Lots of folks around here have chickens, but only two with roosters and I'm telling ya, I wouldn't buy eating eggs from either of them, Ken said last night that as much as we travel, I should just go post on the Wyoming page where we're going to be - Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, etc. and when, and if any one there has hatching eggs at that time we could pick them up while we're there. HOWMSOEVAH - Last night about 12:30 we saw a pip...just the tiniest little thing and it looked a lot like x. Not much bigger! I was so excited! I just knew we'd have a chick by sometime today. Woke up at 4:45 to cheeping...and CHEEPING.....and got up. Turned on the light and saw this little critter in there! Now I just noticed that another egg in there is rocking a bit. So.....woo hoo!! This is a little Olive Egger and his/her name is Yokel.

@lazy gardener . I picked up 26 Black Copper Marans eggs locally. We are mid hatch - 7 so far, 2 more pips, still 7 that are maybe... 10 were tossed as we went along because they were clearly not progressing. The percentage is still not what I eggspected, but better than the eggs I"ve ordered online! BTW, I could have ordered from this keeper of fine chickens, but since they were about 1.5 hours away, I made the drive. Fingers crossed for @bluie

congrats on the hatch. Agreed. 1.5 hour drive. I'd make the drive rather than shipping. Good chance for a road trip.

So would this be big enough for 25 chick's for 3 days? I am getting day old chicks shipped to arrive on Friday (hoping they come early) I just found out that we will be out of town for 2 days, Friday and Saturday, to come home Sunday (I love my husband, I love my husband

), so these will be tiny chick's. SIL is going to come to check on them and replenish food and water. Once I am home I can easily see to their needs, get a bigger MHP. I can run to town today or tomorrow if I must but the only non autoshutoff pad I could find is an hour away....hate to drive all that just for a heating pad. So, will this surfice for a couple of days or do I need to go get another pad....I need to make a road trip don't i....

I agree with other posters. This set up is too small. If you must make an hour drive for a heating pad, it will be a very small price to pay to ensure the safety of your chicks. Personally, If I had the option, I'd have SIL take those chicks home for the 2 days if she's willing. That pad looks too small. I used a 12 x 24 for 22 chicks and it was a tight fit. You run the risk of them pig piling under there, and the bottom ones getting smothered. Also, you need to have someone around at least for the first day to be sure the chicks are eating and drinking, and not too hot or too cold. Too much can go wrong in those important first 24 hours to have some one just "checking in".

Nope not an option. Wish I had better choice, but that is where we are at. I will go to town, will have a better weekend for it.

 

[Blooie]

nothing is available local here. If I need to go shopping I can, but may as well just buy another hotpad, then fuss with anything else. Just trying to find a way not to go to town just for one thing first.
The first batch were on the floor, with a standard chick waterer )with rocks in it) and a heat lamp. I had raised 2 batches this way previously without issue. I do not know how they got wet...but I found them all soaked huddled under the lamp. Figured I needed to change everything. So I grabbed the largest tote (almost the Christmas tree one is bigger) and set up the MHP.
I will go to town...just such a long way.

Oh, I so know what you're saying! Here it's a 50 mile drive one way to the nearest Walmart. Big shopping is done 100 miles away in Billings. <sigh>

 

[junebuggena]

Oh, I so know what you're saying! Here it's a 50 mile drive one way to the nearest Walmart. Big shopping is done 100 miles away in Billings. <sigh>

I may have you beat. It's about 90 miles from where I live to the nearest Walmart. But the nearest Petco is only 14 miles away.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

nothing is available local here. If I need to go shopping I can, but may as well just buy another hotpad, then fuss with anything else. Just trying to find a way not to go to town just for one thing first. The first batch were on the floor, with a standard chick waterer )with rocks in it) and a heat lamp. I had raised 2 batches this way previously without issue. I do not know how they got wet...but I found them all soaked huddled under the lamp. Figured I needed to change everything. So I grabbed the largest tote (almost the Christmas tree one is bigger) and set up the MHP. I will go to town...just such a long way.

Oh, I so know what you're saying! Here it's a 50 mile drive one way to the nearest Walmart. Big shopping is done 100 miles away in Billings.

Yes, so you understand shopping is generally only done once a week (lucky for us the local bar carries milk). I can go and will it is just a huge pain.

 

[MesMama]

I guess I'm just dense. I thought her visiting ours was going to be the greatest thing ever for her. We've texted the hatchery. I've requested another box from my buddy at the appliance store. I'll make another MHP tonight after choir. Don't get me wrong, I love the chicks and I love seeing Cheryl and my Mom love them but sometimes I have to ask.........what have I gotten myself into???

Lol!!! My husband asks that to himself everyday I think