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

[COChix]

@COChix. I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question about keeping the straw on top of the cave. The truth is, you can't. :/ They scratch through it and knock it off almost as fast as you put up there. But our nights were still pretty cool and I really wanted that extra insulation. So what I would do was just pile it back up there at night when they were getting ready to bed down. They were more interested in going to bed than digging through the straw, and since I was out there anyway locking up the coop I just took that extra few minutes and recovered the cave. Even when they were sleeping on top of the cave they left most of the replaced straw. Come morning, all bets were off.

Ok good to know, that is similar to what I have been doing. Our littles again piled up just outside the cave by 9pm and two were in the cave. I took that as maybe it was too warm inside the cave for everyone? Anyway, I turned the heat down a notch to 2 and put them in the cave at cover of darkness and they stayed. This am they were super active and out and about when I went out to let out the big flock.

 

[Blooie]

Deb, you are SOO good at fixing stuff! Thanks!

 

[kimismurf]

Is this the heating pad used here? I would like to give it a try. I see how you all have built caves for the chicks but can someone tell me what temp setting for what age chicks.

 

[aart]

Is this the heating pad used here? I would like to give it a try. I see how you all have built caves for the chicks but can someone tell me what temp setting for what age chicks.

You've got to kind of play it 'by eye'.....
......and adjust the heat level and the height of the pad so their backs can touch it depending on chick size.

But just for reference:

Here's my notes on chick heat, hope something in there might help:
They need to be pretty warm(~85-90F on the brooder floor right under the lamp and 10-20 degrees cooler at the other end of brooder) for the first day or two, especially if they have been shipped, until they get to eating, drinking and moving around well. But after that it's best to keep them as cool as possible for optimal feather growth and quicker integration to outside temps. A lot of chick illnesses are attributed to too warm of a brooder. I do think it's a good idea to use a thermometer on the floor of the brooder to check the temps, especially when new at brooding, later i still use it but more out of curiosity than need.

The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

 

[Blooie]

Hi, kimismurf! I can't see a photo or a link to the heating pad, but the one I, and most others here, use is the Sunbeam X-press Heat. There are two sizes. The smaller one is usually available at Walmart, and I ordered the larger one from Amazon. The heating pad you use must have a switch that allows it to stay on, rather than automatically turn off after 2 hours.

For new chicks I start it at 6 and then watch them. If they stay to the front of the cave or avoid it, it's too hot. We don't worry too much about what the temperature is inside the cave, but I did test it for azygous and it was 82.9 degrees inside the cave in a 69 degree room. Their combined body heat brought that temp up, but I couldn't tell you how much. The did beautifully.....it was just right! As they get bigger, you can raise the height of the cave and/or turn the heat down a notch.

This is what the control looks like. You can see the switch for "auto off", and that's critical.


Temperature readings inside the cave. I'll get a link to you with information about which pad to use, but I think you'll find it on the earlier pages here as well. Right now I'm late picking up granddaughter so need to scoot.

 

[monkcat]

Just to let yall know, I did find the extra large sunbeam pad at cvs! And it was cheaper than amazon.

 

[Blooie]

<plopping back into favorite chair> Okay, Kendra is picked up and happily eating her breakfast.

Here is a link to the heating pad on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

I hadn't found it in any retail outlets, but I'm glad that you mentioned finding it, monkcat. Thanks. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Sunbeam must be wondering at the sudden surge in heating pad sales!

Wonder how they'd react if they knew that we are buying them up so our chicks have something warm to get poop on!

 

[monkcat]

<plopping back into favorite chair> Okay, Kendra is picked up and happily eating her breakfast.

Here is a link to the heating pad on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

I hadn't found it in any retail outlets, but I'm glad that you mentioned finding it, monkcat. Thanks. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Sunbeam must be wondering at the sudden surge in heating pad sales!

Wonder how they'd react if they knew that we are buying them up so our chicks have something warm to get poop on!

I know, had I realized, I would have bought stock in the company! heehee. I was very surprised to find it locally. VERY surprised. When I tell you it is a tiny town, it only got a CVS in the past 5 years. They only had the extra large, but that's what I needed at the time. I had ordered one on Amazon when I found it, so I now have two. Thinking that means I need more chicks, right?

Oh, and on CVS online it is listed for 39.99. But in the store, I got it for 24.99.

 

[perilloux5]

<plopping back into favorite chair> Okay, Kendra is picked up and happily eating her breakfast.

Here is a link to the heating pad on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

I hadn't found it in any retail outlets, but I'm glad that you mentioned finding it, monkcat. Thanks. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - Sunbeam must be wondering at the sudden surge in heating pad sales!

Wonder how they'd react if they knew that we are buying them up so our chicks have something warm to get poop on!

Maybe they would make a special dual sided one just for chickens. Fuzzy on the bottom and a thick wipable plastic on the top. I could just see the commercials, "Heating Pads for Chickens".

And they would jack the price up.

 

[Blooie]

I know, had I realized, I would have bought stock in the company! heehee. I was very surprised to find it locally. VERY surprised. When I tell you it is a tiny town, it only got a CVS in the past 5 years. They only had the extra large, but that's what I needed at the time. I had ordered one on Amazon when I found it, so I now have two. Thinking that means I need more chicks, right?

Oh, and on CVS online it is listed for 39.99. But in the store, I got it for 24.99.

Nah, if you have a CVS you have a big town! We don't have a store (except for the Cowley Merc, a two pump gas station) and we don't have any banks, no pharmacies, and no doctor's office. Our business district is one block long - only on one side of the street. We have no house to house mail delivery- the entire town goes to the Post Office to pick up mail. The graduating class this year at the high school, which is not only for the kids in Cowley but also takes students from Byron, Deaver, and Frannie, is 27.

We had custody of our grandkids for a few years. When our little granddaughter went back to South Dakota to live in a town with over 250,000 people, she was trying to explain to a friend how small and isolated Cowley is. Her friend just couldn't visualize it, and asked her, "Well, how isolated?" Little Diane said, "Well, when Gramma and Grampa would say we were going to Walmart, I'd say, 'Oh, goodie! I'll pack the cooler!" Oh, and traffic? Well, there are two stoplights in the entire county. That's COUNTY, not town. We don't have a stoplight here in our town.

Maybe they would make a special dual sided one just for chickens. Fuzzy on the bottom and a thick wipable plastic on the top. I could just see the commercials, "Heating Pads for Chickens".

And they would jack the price up.

Then I'd better stock up before that happens!