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

[poodlechicks]

Well if the white Orpingtons are anything like my Buffs, they'll be friendly, sweet, adorable little (well, big) chickens. Hopefully they all turn out to be girls!!! I actually heard that the white color was one of the original Orpington colors but is now pretty rare.

X2! My Orpington hens are very nice.

 

[lazy gardener]

While in town today, I stopped at the feed store. I was looking for potato sets (none) but they had a shipment of adorable, very nice and active EE. (I think they called them Ameraucanas!) Today is first "due date", with more due on Sat and Sun. So far, no cheeps, in spite of repeatedly turning the fan off to listen. I did not yield to the temptation.

 

[aart]

@Leahs Mom separate run from the olders main run.......main run needs smaller mesh added before mixing chicks...hopefully next week.


Left chicks pop door open today, but did not 'throw' them out into the run....didn't want to have to chase them all down(to go out and back in) again.
Tho when I walked into their coop to maybe 'persuade' them out(reads 'scare' them out) several jumped onto the threshold of the pop door,
but put on the brakes fast when they saw where they were headed, one got knocked out into the run....oops!
Didn't take her long to fly back up onto the ramp and back into coop...good sign.
Sprinkled some crumble onto the ramp and few ventured up and down the ramp a bit, but none went to the ground.
They were close but the dog started barking(at nothing I could see-shm) and scared them back up.
May be a bit more 'persuasive tomorrow, I really want them to learn to go in and out on their own.

To stay on topic(haha) went out midday and all but 2 of the 16 two week old chicks were on top of the 12 x 24 MHP.......
......filled up that space pretty well, so it's pretty crowded under there at night.
Speaks to capacity of the 12 x 24...actually the top board is a bit bigger than the pad itself.

 

[WyoJax]

WyoJax,

Word of warning from a Florida guy.  My plants have been in the ground outside since Feb.  I let my hens out every evening when I get home from work and all day on weekends.  By the end of Mar, I couldn't figure out why my tomatoes and peppers had no blooms.  Plants all looked healthy and were growing but NO BLOOMS.  Well, I caught my "friends" & "helpers" one afternoon pecking away at my nice tender tomato tops.  My "friends" were eating every bloom they could find!  So, while they are wonderful companions while gardening, they will not help in the sense that you want them too. 

Since I caught them red-beaked, I fenced off the garden and lo and behold, I now have blooms all over the place! 

Have fun in that garden.

I have also heard that the feathered friends of ours are quite addicted to tomatoes as well! I will be sure to maintain fencing for these monsters. Thank you so much for the word of advice!

Blooie those babies are sooo cute!

Snow tonight up to 12" by Sunday. These girls are spoiled. Hot oatmeal with Chia and strawberry tops...they were fighting over it. MHP will get her use this weekend.

 

[ShrekDawg]

X2! My Orpington hens are very nice.

I love mine, they all let me hold them. My Barred Rock and one of the EEs are personable and approach me and listen to me talk, etc. And my Australorps talk TO me, but my Orpingtons are the only ones who let me hold them.

 

[dyorto]

The MHP pad fits and the extension cord reaches. So this will be home for the next little while. I just got the call that coop is ready so we will pick it up Monday, but I'll have to paint and build some roosts in there before move in day. I like the small coop better for a while yet anyways because it's all enclosed. The big run area isn't covered so I'd be nervous of hawks getting at them.

 

[poodlechicks]

I love mine, they all let me hold them. My Barred Rock and one of the EEs are personable and approach me and listen to me talk, etc. And my Australorps talk TO me, but my Orpingtons are the only ones who let me hold them.

Mine don't offer to be held or demand petting, but they let me pet them and don't complain when I hold them. I think this is a great breed for the beginner or someone who want them as pets. I don't mind the eggs either

 

[junebuggena]

The MHP pad fits and the extension cord reaches. So this will be home for the next little while. I just got the call that coop is ready so we will pick it up Monday, but I'll have to paint and build some roosts in there before move in day. I like the small coop better for a while yet anyways because it's all enclosed. The big run area isn't covered so I'd be nervous of hawks getting at them.

That chick is fully feathered. She doesn't need a heating pad anymore.

 

[dyorto]

That chick is fully feathered. She doesn't need a heating pad anymore. 

You think so? They are 4 weeks and were raised inside until 2 nights ago when I moved the brooder into the garage. I was worried that the temp changes would be too much shock for them. It's warmed up some now so the lows and in the low 40s for this week.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks. I had thought, because they don't need quite as much heat as chicks, that I might be ok. But they grow so FAST, I might have to dust off the heat lamp too.

NO! no heat lamp. This whole thread is about NO heat lamps! Just make another MHP, you already know how easy it is. Plus the pads have so many "off label" uses

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. I moved the chicks from the brooder in the garage to the coop to be able to enjoy the day outside. At first I didn't think is be able to put the mama heating pad inside. But after cleaning it out and evaluating, I think I can fit the MHP in the nesting box area when I took the divider out. The chicks are just over 4 weeks. heres the coop



This the boxes where I am considering setting up the MHP. It'd be a pain to run an extension cord that long but it would beat catching and carrying 6 chicks one by one back and forth

Worth the effort, just make sure the cord is safe from getting cut or tripping someone and if connections are needed, use the weather proof ones. They really won't need the MHP much longer since they are 4 weeks and fully feathered. Maybe more for "recognizable environment".