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

[FlyWheel]

<Snip!> Soon, hopefully, those that use a heat lamp will be the minority. We will refrain from sending them PMs saying they are killing their chicks

</Snip!>

Thank you on the set up I belong to another site that is mostly about chickens, and its amazing to me how set they are on using the red light! I have mentioned the MHP a few times, and explained how it works, and received TONS of negative remarks about how cruel and mean it would be to use such little heat. They are firm believers in the red light method,,, all I can say is.... they have been blinded by the light!

Just show them this picture of my initial brooding bin in which I used a heat lamp...

Quote:
Originally Posted by aart

Curious, but Chicken!


This pic is beyond adorable!

X32

 

[Bowldy45]

Just show them this picture of my initial brooding bin in which I used a heat lamp...

OMG! I knew I didn't like those lights!!

 

[Coop de Grass]

My French Black Copper Marans have hatched. 11 out of 24 eggs. Not sure if that is a good rate or not, but I have a lovely brood under my MHP. I will be moving the MHP into the larger bin tomorrow. I have to move the 2 week old chicks out to the little coop and then next week I will move the littlest ones out as well. I am really enjoying having these chicks in the house. They are very tame and I would like to develop more of a relationship with them. The chicks that hatched under the broody were not as friendly as the ones I hatched in February (same hatch dates)

So here are my photos of the MHP and the FBCM chicks!

 

[Spinning Carrie]

My little chicks are all tucked in for the night, and it's supposed to be a colder night (38°). I'm resisting the urge to check them, I wish I could get a transparent heating pad!

 

[Blooie]

I've been so busy today....I was running around all day trying to find any chicks. I only have the two that hatched so I'd like to add a couple of more, but no place I checked had any. Well, that's not quite true...one place had a bin of Red Sex Links...all pullets...except they were all yellow, every one of them. I shouldn't have said anything, but I did. After I commented that if those were indeed RSL chicks, they were all roosters, the guy dismissed everything else I said. So I had to pull his chain a little. (I really need to pick up smoking again before I make enemies out of the entire world!) First he spent so much time trying to talk me into buying them, and then when I acted like I was considering it he took me over to the display where they had "chick brooder kits" on sale. I just looked at him and said, "It comes with a heat lamp?" He proudly nodded. You should have seen his face when I said I'd never allow a heat lamp in my house, garage or even in my yard. He sorta sniffed and said, "Well, you absolutely need to have a heat lamp. Chicks have very strick (his word) heat requirements." I told him I'd take the chick starter, the pack of vertical nipples and then asked where they kept their heating pads. I don't remember much after that....he shot daggers into me when I told him that's all I use. So I guess I'll order some. Good thing MHP is so quick to accept new babies.

Keep the photos coming...I love it!

I can't recall everyone who asked questions and I forgot to multi-quote as I caught up, so bear with me and forgive my old forgetful brain!

About the flower pot. Um, in a word, nope. Sounds like a great theory because the clay holds heat. But the curve is too high. They can't get the heat right at their backs when they're under it, and they can't get up there and stay up there easily when they want to hang around up there. The big opening and the porous nature of the pot just doesn't work well. Now, that said, we did have someone who used it, but she lived in Mississippi and her chicks were outside. She piled straw inside, and they used it, but that entire "broody hen" feel wasn't there.

And I think it was ...oh, never mind, I'm not even gonna try to remember who it was..... anyway, you put the pad on whatever setting they are content to have. That's the reason behind so many of us saying to watch your chicks rather than the numbers - they'll tell you exactly what they want!

Whew!! Did I hit the high points? It's so awesome to have so many new names and chicks popping up here all the time, but I have trouble keeping up sometimes!

 

[Blooie]

Okay, my little ones. The dark one is the Olive Egger, Yokel. The light one is the Cream Legbar, Sweet Pea. Yes, I know he's a rooster - but his name is Sweet Pea!


Under MHP. I lifted it up so we could see them.


Having a little chat.


Sweet Pea strutting his stuff!


Love the white eyebrows!


Pretty little thing!


Drinking out of the horizontal nipple. Not bad for a day old!


Yokel has it figured out!


Silly chick. Wanted a drink but didn't want to leave MHP! So he just poked his beak in!


Sweet Pea was more willing to come out further!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Okay, my little ones. The dark one is the Olive Egger, Yokel. The light one is the Cream Legbar, Sweet Pea. Yes, I know he's a rooster - but his name is Sweet Pea! Under MHP. I lifted it up so we could see them. Having a little chat. Sweet Pea strutting his stuff! Love the white eyebrows! Pretty little thing! Drinking out of the horizontal nipple. Not bad for a day old! Yokel has it figured out! Silly chick. Wanted a drink but didn't want to leave MHP! So he just poked his beak in! Sweet Pea was more willing to come out further!

Sooooo adorable!!! And LOL about sticking his head out. My girls do that sometimes. I have food and water in the run but only the food is under the coop, with a secondary dish out in the run and grit and oyster shell in the run too, the last 3 are next to the coop so accessible from underneath. Anyways, often they'll be underneath hanging out and just reach their heads out to get the food from out there instead of the bowl next to them. And in bad weather sometimes they have to really think about whether it's worth it to go aaaaalllll the way out there for a drink. Silly birds.

 

[TerryH]

Chicken baby wake up call. 5:30 am at Terry and Cheryl's house.

 

[dyorto]

Chicken baby wake up call. 5:30 am at Terry and Cheryl's house.

very cute. You'd never have that with a heat lamp!

 

[lazy gardener]

Nor do you ever hear that musical little trill when they sing themselves to sleep at night. Never ever heard that with a heat lamp. It's a frequent occurrence with the MHP.