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

[COChix]

I was thinking the same thing!  I was just looking at my tomato cages this weekend and was going to start cutting it and putting wire over it.  Like was suggested I was going to flatten it a bit so it didn't have such an arch.

looking good!

The husband and I just spent our two days off starting on the new coop.  It's actually going faster than I thought, but still a lot more to go. 
My husband can't understand why I want to try this method, "the other way works just fine", uggh.  I told him I'm just doing it, lol.  I do have the whole heating light system from last time, so will keep handy, just in case they don't take to pad method but fingers crossed it'll work beautifully. 

Hey GMTA = Great Minds Think A Like on the tomato cages. So one suggestion or something I guess I am going to have to do is to put the cage up on some 2 x 4's the length wise to raise it up a bit as our heating pad wraps farther on the sides than the frame is wide. If all of that makes sense?! I would not cut off so much initially when you go to make it like a tunnel. I would leave more metal so the frame sits up a bit. Makes me want to re-do mine. Anyway, ours seems to like it. I do gentle reminders about putting them in the cave where it is warmest. I will do the same lights out routine while they are in the house, hoping they get it by the time they are outside next week with natural light. Good luck and post pictures of course!

 

[LindaB220]

...

So I have changed what I am doing at least ten times now, lol. I had an epiphany when I was out feeding the big flock and I saw a tomatoe cage. So instead I will be using a tomatoe cage as the hard part of the shell. I have it cut and everything, just have to wrap some chicken wire around it so it is more solid.

Not sure if the last few comments were directed at me or not. We have a second coop in our enclosed run and we will be using that coop for the babies until they are integrated with the flock.

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Man, I LOVE this idea!!! I've got 21babies in the brooder in tbe storeroom now. It is so warm now that I don't need the lamp at.night. I just put five feather dusters together and they cuddle.

 

[mothersdream]

Thank you so much for all this information. My chicks are about 3-4 weeks old now so my dilemma is whether we can go ahead and move them out to the coop. The night time temps are in the low 30's, but they are used to pretty warm conditions. Help?

 

[lazy gardener]

Absolutely. They will thrive in the coop with the HP brooder.

 

[mothersdream]

I don't have an hp brooder, just a heat lamp. Thoughts?

 

[Blooie]

@mothersdream : As much as it goes against the grain for me to say this, if you moved the heat lamp out there with them so they had a place to get warm for at least another week, they'd probably do alright. <ouch - telling someone to use a heat lamp was more painful than I thought it would be!> I don't know if you'd be able to switch them to a heating pad cave at this stage of the game, so the lamp is the only sensible alternative if you want to move them out. DO be sure to secure it well and don't rely on the weak clamp that comes with it. Double and triple the attachments whenever possible. Good luck with them!

I think a better option would be to start leaving the heat off them during the day, extending the time it's off so they can "harden off" before they go out. They should then be able to go without it completely when you do put them out. I took the light off last year's chicks when they were four weeks old and being brooded indoors. Oh, they hated me for a night or two, but they got over it! They were living outside with no supplemental heat at 5.5 weeks old, in cold Wyoming temps and did just fine!

 

[mothersdream]

@ Blooie thank you! Funny, I was thinking of turning the light off at night. I will start with that tonight.

 

[alibabba]

I would make the brooding area smaller and temporarily put down some thing to cover the sand like leaves or even paper towel those first few days till they figure out what food and water is and where it is. If there was a broody hen in charge she would show them which is good to eat and where it is.

deb

Yep, a hen would be a help.

My gut feeling is that sand from day earlier on would be a better idea. I added it after a few days. So it was new, and maybe this one thought it delightful. Or maybe it wasnt getting near enough to the food and filled up on sand. But I didn't notice anyone lingering by themselves or being shoved away.

The tote lid is great. Keeps the food separate from bedding, not too slippery.....and WASHABLE!!!

 

[aart]

Yep, a hen would be a help.

My gut feeling is that sand from day earlier on would be a better idea. I added it after a few days. So it was new, and maybe this one thought it delightful. Or maybe it wasnt getting near enough to the food and filled up on sand. But I didn't notice anyone lingering by themselves or being shoved away.

The tote lid is great. Keeps the food separate from bedding, not too slippery.....and WASHABLE!!!

It really did work great...and I had 2 of them so I could put a clean one in while the other dried after washing it.

 

[mothersdream]

So here I am after midnight thinking they were dead because it's so quiet. I turned their light on and they all stirred, preened a bit and nibbled a bit but when I turned the light off they settled down quickly, no fuss. Hope I am doing the right thing. It's about 68 in here.