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

[Blooie]

So night two we turned off the main light but left a light in the other room on, half the chicks high tailed it into the cave and the other half was huddled on top. I put those guys inside and then they stayed all night. House was 60 this am and they were out and about at first light. Here is a shot of them...


Worked on the small coop and will be moving them outside tomorrow, suppose to be 70 and we can't have them in the house any longer. They have quickly outgrown their brooder at 1 1/2 weeks (with the addition of the heat pad brooder). I have noticed since switching over to this their feathers have really come on now. I can only imagine what will happen when they get out to the coop. I will brood them inside mostly for another week with a few outings to the enclosed run. The main flock will be able to see them then. We will block off part of the run after that and then let them out into their side each day for another week or so then cut a hole or prop the door just big enough only they can fit through and then work towards integration.

That being said, I gave our Cornish 8 eggs this am after she has been consistently serious about her broodiness for a week. What changed it was she has been sleeping in the nest boxes, sitting on nothing or golf balls. So we will see what happens.

If there is a drawback to this system, it would definitely be how much space it takes up in the brooder. But then if you think about it, with a heat lamp they'd be sleeping all over the place instead of in one place, so maybe it balances out in the end. I know that moving them outside made a world of difference space wise, and despite the change they seemed to appreciate the extra room.

Good luck with the Cornish hatch! And let us know how your Littles do during the coop transition. At first mine huddled in a corner getting whiplash from trying to look at everything around them without moving anything but their little heads. Then one ventured forth and the rest, as they say, is history!

 

[mothersdream]

The girls pitched a fit when I turned out their light tonight. The overhead light was still on and I was covering most of their box with blankets to hold heat in as they don't have a source without the light. They were flying everywhere trying to find me or a way out. One jumped up on my shoulder and tried to nestle in my hair. Finally got them settled down when I turned the overhead light off. They are together tonight unlike last night. Not on top of each other though. Sheesh, I felt like a bad mamma!

 

[Blooie]

Just a little "tough love"! They get over their temper tantrums as fast as they flew into them!

 

[mothersdream]

Yes, they did get over it and are my girls again this morning. We have rain forecast for the next few days so I'm wondering about the transition out to the coop. I hate to have a heat lamp on in there at night after weaning them off night time light.

 

[maybaby45]

Chicks came in today! I was expecting tomorrow since they are going from Ohio to Alabama but it was one day. I quickly got them home and they are eating, drinking and about 3 of the 9 have figured out mama heating pad. I'll try to attach pictures. I have one black with a yellow 'fro' that I'm laughing so hard at how he looks. I'm not sure what breeds I got as I just picked the brown and white egg layers.


For some reason I can't post pictures. Anyway, they have all been under the mama heating pad, about 6 are asleep and 3 are having fun with the waterer.

 

[Blooie]

Fantastic! As soon as you get the photo thing figured out, we'd love pictures! Again, don't worry overmuch if they don't all run under Mama Heating Pad and stay there. That's not what we want anyway - we want them to behave as they would under a broody hen - under for a warmup or nap, out for play, eating, drinking and exploring. You may want to tuck them all in a time or two, especially the first few nights, but after that they know where they're comfortable.

To post pictures, look for the mountain and moon (sun?) icon in the upper row. Click on that, then on "upload". Find your picture on your computer and open it. Then when the box pops up that asks you what size you want, select it then select "submit." And I'll feel like a total nitwit if you already knew that, so don't tell me!

 

[maybaby45]

Here's my first set up. I moved them into a much bigger box since they had such a small area to walk around in that wasn't heating pad. The move was cause for much chirping and fussing so I shoved them repeatedly under 'mama' and they finally all took a short nap and are happily eating right now. Who ever put the puppy pads down reminded me I had a bag of incontinence pads from when my daughter was overnight potty training and still having accidents. Now they have a big box with pads to poop on!

 

[aart]

Got a chuckle remembering..... used puppy pads first time I brooded,
worked ok until they started scratching and would catch their toenails in the material and about knock themselves over.
Went to sand and a tote lid for a food/water surface after that.

 

[maybaby45]

Ive got the horse pine pellets to put down tomorrow. The guy at the co-op said it was like cat litter? He had the ones at the store in it so I'm assuming it's ok?

 

[Blooie]

I've never used them or even seen them. Can anybody answer?