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

[Bowldy45]

You may want to post over in the Emergencies section....start with electrolytes or sav-a-chik, or failing that some warm water with a little sugar or honey, on a q-tip, touched to her beak. Maybe swab her eyes with clean water just to make sure they are not stuck shut...

I will post there too, thank you Mobius. They are still getting sav-a-chik , and she does eat. Just wont open her eyes very much.

 

[mobius]

I will post there too, thank you Mobius. They are still getting sav-a-chik , and she does eat. Just wont open her eyes very much.

Watch for a good little poop from her!

 

[bruceha2000]

Quote:
Because your birds will be out of the MHP brooder by the time your F-I-L gets his chicks!! Unless "soon" is in the next 4 weeks, then I guess he will have to build his own.

It's pretty darned warm down there, I bet if you brood yours outdoors, my guess it they'll be ignoring the MHP cave by about 3 weeks.

 

[mobius]

So I've got my MHP set up in a large (airline approved type) dog kennel, using the XL Sunbeam heating pad as recommended, covered with the press 'n seal (holy cow, that is some pretty nifty stuff!!), and a towel over the whole thing covering the back of the arch and overhanging a bit in the front, pine shavings as the flooring, and pine shavings on top of the MHP so it adds a whole other level of "floor space," but the indoor/outdoor thermometer is telling me it's only 78 degrees in there, with only 1% humidity. There's 10 chicks in there that I just brought home today. They are huddled in the back corner together, with the exception of two who don't seem that sleepy right now hanging out near the front, and all is quiet right now, with the occasional little, soft toned peep peep. Does that mean they're okay with the temp? A little while ago they were all out and about eating and checking things out - one even tried to get on top of the MHP, but she's not quite big enough yet, and all the little wing-flapping she was doing was futile with those little wing-nubs. It was so cute. Such a valiant attempt. I have the heating pad on setting 6, the highest it will go.

Just checked on them again....temp says 80 now. Still only 1% humidity, which is weird since the rest of the house is at 34%. Maybe the pine shavings affect that?

Thanks,

Heather
Southeastern CT

Breeds: 6 Speckled Sussex, 2 Buff Orps, 1 Red Cross, 1 Barred Rock. I am also waiting on 2 Silver-laced Wyandottes coming in Mon/Tue.

Sounds like they are doing great!! Pine shavings do dry things out, I think....Now they need to rest....they sleep a lot at first....

 

[bruceha2000]

So I've got my MHP set up in a large (airline approved type) dog kennel, using the XL Sunbeam heating pad as recommended, covered with the press 'n seal (holy cow, that is some pretty nifty stuff!!), and a towel over the whole thing covering the back of the arch and overhanging a bit in the front, pine shavings as the flooring, and pine shavings on top of the MHP so it adds a whole other level of "floor space," but the indoor/outdoor thermometer is telling me it's only 78 degrees in there, with only 1% humidity. There's 10 chicks in there that I just brought home today. They are huddled in the back corner together, with the exception of two who don't seem that sleepy right now hanging out near the front, and all is quiet right now, with the occasional little, soft toned peep peep. Does that mean they're okay with the temp? A little while ago they were all out and about eating and checking things out - one even tried to get on top of the MHP, but she's not quite big enough yet, and all the little wing-flapping she was doing was futile with those little wing-nubs. It was so cute. Such a valiant attempt. I have the heating pad on setting 6, the highest it will go.

Just checked on them again....temp says 80 now. Still only 1% humidity, which is weird since the rest of the house is at 34%. Maybe the pine shavings affect that?

Thanks,

Heather
Southeastern CT

Breeds: 6 Speckled Sussex, 2 Buff Orps, 1 Red Cross, 1 Barred Rock. I am also waiting on 2 Silver-laced Wyandottes coming in Mon/Tue.

Sounds like things are set up well. If it was too hot inside, all the chicks would be outside the cave. Not sure about the humidity but I wouldn't worry about it. If it is a separate thermometer combo than the one you use to get the house humidity number maybe it is broken. Humidity will equalize in a space over time shy of a moisture sucking or generating source nearby.

 

[Spinning Carrie]

Day three of chick ownership! The chicks love their MHP, they put themselves to bed, and pop in and out of it all day long. I put a clump of sod in with them this morning, and so far it has been ignored. We have 11 chicks, we ordered 7 and the breeder sent extras. We are only allowed 7 chickens, so we are going to grow them out to make sure we keep only pullets and then re-home some of the extras.

The bottom pic is of our lavender and one of our black Orpingtons. The lavender is a little stinker! She loves to grab and pull on the other chicks toes.

All of our walls for our coop are framed, and the roof joists are done. We had to take a break because of bad weather but it looks like it'll be sunshine today so we will be back at it. We are doing an 8x8x8 coop. I am separating 3 feet from the door entrance with a half wood, half mesh wall so I can have a storage area and a separate hospital section.

Carrie

 

[hpierce88]

Quote: Is that sour cream container a nipple waterer? I would love to make one of those for my babies. I have one of those pint-sized waterers like your feeder in the background, but it gets SOOOOOO messy and gross when they all start hopping around it kicking shavings into it. Is it just a matter of putting the nipple on it and that's that?

Heather

 

[mobius]

Day three of chick ownership! The chicks love their MHP, they put themselves to bed, and pop in and out of it all day long. I put a clump of sod in with them this morning, and so far it has been ignored. We have 11 chicks, we ordered 7 and the breeder sent extras. We are only allowed 7 chickens, so we are going to grow them out to make sure we keep only pullets and then re-home some of the extras.

The bottom pic is of our lavender and one of our black Orpingtons. The lavender is a little stinker! She loves to grab and pull on the other chicks toes.

All of our walls for our coop are framed, and the roof joists are done. We had to take a break because of bad weather but it looks like it'll be sunshine today so we will be back at it. We are doing an 8x8x8 coop. I am separating 3 feet from the door entrance with a half wood, half mesh wall so I can have a storage area and a separate hospital section.

Carrie

Love that lavender!!! Sounds like all are doing wonderful, congratulations!

Question: So are the Chicken Police going to come and count your chickens?

(I am now thinking about ways to hide the chickens in your coop, kind of like an Anne Frank hidden apartment)

(I mean, as long as you are building the coop at the moment, might as well add that!)

 

[WyoJax]

I orded canned meal worms once, retain the juice, supposed to like them better, but mine HATED them.

But then just yesterday we went to Tractor Supply and I picked up a bag of Happy Hens treats, the Mealworm and Oats kind. It has oat groats, raisins, sunflower kernels, peanuts, and of course meal worms. Mine went CRAZY for the stuff. They absolutely LOVE IT. You might want to try that or one of the other Happy Hens treats. They have a lot of kinds.

Here's what mine is.

I debated on buying a bag but I had heard if it didn't move they wouldn't care. But on the same hand I have yet to see one with oatmeal and seed in it. Thank you for the advice, I'll have to hit our two week old TS and grab a bag today. Those girls are scratching their feed everywhere I'm positive they're bored.

 

[COChix]

I debated on buying a bag but I had heard if it didn't move they wouldn't care. But on the same hand I have yet to see one with oatmeal and seed in it. Thank you for the advice, I'll have to hit our two week old TS and grab a bag today. Those girls are scratching their feed everywhere I'm positive they're bored.

Your in Cheyenne right? How's the weather up there?