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

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Ostrich are too dangerous for me... So are Emus.... they both have that same frontal disemboweling kick for defense. There are a couple of people up in my area that were into both for some time.... Did you know a mountain lion can carry a full grown ostrich over a fence to feed on it in private? Crazy.... feed store owner told me she lost one of her male ostriches that way. They weight like what 250 pounds?

Carcass yeld is 51% which is mostly leg meat.... for those who might be interested... age to bucher is about 14 months. so after 14 months of feeding a 250 pound bird will yeild 125 pounds of meat.
deb

 

[Blooie]

LOVE the innovation!!!! I'd love to hear more about this brooder, especially if used in colder ambient temps and if it's still maintaining the stable temps enough to keep the chicks warm. This one probably deserves its own thread or at least post it to the DIY thread so other folks can get a look at it.

Oh, I so agree!! Do start a thread on this - it deserves to be at the forefront, not tucked back in the middle of another thread where lots of folks will never see it once a few pages go by. And keep us updated on how it works long term.....love it, especially for those with big batches of chicks!

 

[Blooie]

This is what their brooder/coop looks like. (temp home until they move out to the coop)

I added this "outdoor" space last week and they are allowed outside in the day time so they can run back and forth to get used to the weather.

That's quite a brooder setup!

 

[Jensownzoo]

Did I hear someone mention ostrich? Meat and eggs....if you can catch her.

I think Deb lives in much too warm a climate to go around wearing full riot gear all the time! Ostriches are a Do Not Want!

Turkeys are AWESOMELY Cute as chicks and tween agers and even full grown ....   I once had two wild varieties dont know what kind what the feed store had.  Mr. and Mrs. T......  Mr. T was a handsome dude covered in black and bronze and green irridescent feathers....  He would sneak up behind me all fluffed out Id turn and he would instanly deflate and examine something on the ground.... like   "what!"  They were both good fliers too and picked out a spot in my green house room to roost.   about twelve feet up on a water pipe that came out of the house.  I found out they were there one night when Crash and something scrambling around in the boxes on the floor.  I flipped thelight on and there was Mr T on the floor.... Mrs. T was up on the pipe looking down as if to say..... "You fool.... get back to bed"   In about two or three mghty flaps he was back.... 

deb

The only thing really holding me back is they'd be pure yard ornaments. I don't eat meat and I'll already have eggs coming out my ears. I got the guineas because we have a tick problem plus for intruder alerts, but I don't know of any jobs particular to turkeys. Convince me? Love the gobbling so much.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
thats why the wild turkeys..... For what its worth they are a FIERCE protector of the flock. Mr T proved himself several times. You can use the eggs just like chicken eggs or sell em.... but with wild turkeys they dont get so big that they break their legs just walking around.

I laugh every time I see this
deb

 

[dyorto]

At 8 weeks, it is safe to say this is a girl?
EEs are so confusing to me

 

[aart]

At 8 weeks, it is safe to say this is a girl?
EEs are so confusing to me

Odd comb....not sure it's pure pea, maybe modified pea...sure is red, which say cockerel to me.
Sometimes you have to wait until 3-4 months for hackle and saddle feathers to grow in.

 

[GardenNut]

thats why the wild turkeys..... For what its worth they are a FIERCE protector of the flock. Mr T proved himself several times. You can use the eggs just like chicken eggs or sell em.... but with wild turkeys they dont get so big that they break their legs just walking around. I laugh every time I see this deb

That girl knew exactly what she was doing! Lol!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
there is also Cushion comb too. Notice hardly any wattles?

deb

 

[Beekissed]

Is that okay to do even if they are outside in the brooder? I moved them out of my house and into a "mini" coop at a week old. It gets down in the 50's at night so I was worried they may still want the extra warmth...??? If they can get it laying on top, I may just leave the pad on the ground for another week or two (with the covering on it since they are so messy) and go from there?

Sure is. I brood all of mine outside from day one in much cooler temps than that and they acclimate very quickly to the variances in temps, especially as they age. By three weeks they are usually not needing the same level of warmth they needed in the first week, so transitioning them to a lower temp setting or just a huddle box is a good alternative. A place to huddle out of the breeze and night damp is still needed and that can be your brooder turned on a very low setting and then finally turn it off altogether. Their own body heat and the snug place to cuddle seems to be all they need...especially if they are sleeping on top of the brooder each night anyway.

I'd just check on them that first night and put them under the brooder if they are still wanting to stay on top. After that, they can choose where they feel the most comfortable.