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

[welby1205]

Ok, finally got on the computer to show a pic of the set up. It's working great right now, not sure about long term. There is bedding on the tops and sides, they like to climb up there and jump off. So cute!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@Beekissed
Since you have some experience w/dogs and livestock... what do you think about the possibility of a 2yo Anatolian Shepherd Male (Neutered) rescue being trained to chickens? Think it's too late for training a 2 yo? Description says he gets along with cats and is good w/children which may be a good sign.

 

[bruceha2000]

Hi everyone, I have been reading most of this thread since my wife said she wanted chickens about a month ago now when I said I was going to try and raise some quail.

Our chicks should get here this week from Meyer hatchery and my quail eggs hopefully will be hatching Memorial Day weekend. I am planning to raise both chicken and quail with a heating pad in separate brooders on my covered patio. Once I am finished building the chicken coop they are getting moved out there right away.

I do have a few questions I hope someone can help with. The location. I am putting the brooders is covered and in the shade. Our weather is warming up fast and our high temps will be in the mid to upper 80's with lows in the 60's. Do y'all think I will need to start the heating pads at a 6 even with these warm temps? I may have missed it but did anyone cover brooding coturnix quail with the heating pad? I will try to upload some pictures of my brooders, thanks.

I think you will be the first here to use MHP on quail but they are just ground birds like chickens, right? You probably will need to make your cave lower to start since they are smaller.

So our 7 week olds have begun practicing roosting in the coop at bedtime. So far they haven't stuck it out on the roosts. Tonight they decide to try their luck at roosting with the bigs at bedtime. They explored the various roosting spots, notice nobody else is in the coop. I figured they would be in the corner soon enough on the floor.m

They decided to go for the prime roosting spots, a roost with a window out into the covered run. Usually the oldest bird of the flock is in that window.....gotta admire their bravery.

Sure enough it didn't last long, they got chased off by a one-year-old pullet and ended up huddled in the corner on the floor near where the MHP use to be.

Does anyone force the roosting issue by putting them on the roost after dark? Or just let them figure it out on their own? The thing about putting them on the roost after dark, I am afraid, I would have to climb in the coop and they would cause a ruckus I am sure screaming as a strange hand grabs them out of the night. Thoughts?

Are there options for the younger ones to roost NOT right up against the older birds? I am quite certain if there are prefered spots on the roosts, the older birds will kick the younger ones out but they will figure out where they are allowed to go if they have options. They are already showing an interest in being off the ground at night.

I had to google what LGD was

No hiding necessary! You have NO idea how long it took me to figure out what BOSS was (Black Oil Sunflower Seed if you don't already know) and a bunch of other "short ways" to name things, like LGD.

Ok, finally got on the computer to show a pic of the set up. It's working great right now, not sure about long term. There is bedding on the tops and sides, they like to climb up there and jump off. So cute!

Looks like it is working fine. Some in the back, one up front, no pig pile to stay warm.

@Beekissed
Since you have some experience w/dogs and livestock... what do you think about the possibility of a 2yo Anatolian Shepherd Male (Neutered) rescue being trained to chickens? Think it's too late for training a 2 yo? Description says he gets along with cats and is good w/children which may be a good sign.

Obviously I am not Bee

Trainable? I've not dealt with it personally but I would guess "probably so" .... if one has the space, fencing and time. From what I read lots of LGDs in shelters are there because people got them thinking they could just leave them in a small yard all day with nothing to do. For centuries they have had a JOB and that job is to guard livestock. When people stuff them in a small space they go stir crazy and they keep escaping then get taken to a shelter as "bad dogs".

Also, my understanding of LGDs is that they will protect their territory and when trained with specific herd animals will consider them their flock to guard but they may not consider chickens in the same way. They will specifically protect a goat or sheep in "their" flock but the chickens might just be guarded as part of the land they are protecting. I think that is the basis of not specifically needing a LGD to guard your chickens. Either way, if the predators are kept away from the chickens, you don't need to care if the dog is protecting the property or the individual chickens. Lots of breeds will protect herd animals and lots will protect property but LGDs were bred specifically for the purpose of guarding their flock animals day and night and do so even if the herder isn't nearby which is why they are popular with people who have sheep, goats, etc.

BUT you will need to train the dog that those chickens are your flock and aren't to be touched or chased. No way to know about a specific dog until you have it, assuming it isn't in the shelter BECAUSE it is a chicken chaser

. Even that dog could potentially be trained but again, do you have the time and a backup plan for the dog if it just can't keep from having chicken tenders for afternoon snacks?

 

[16 paws]

Warning....Graphic picture

Here is an up-date on my blind chick Chicken Little.

She is doing great with the Mama heat pad brooder. Here is a picture of her. The eye that was not injured is open most of the time now but I still dont think she can see. The other eye still has a huge scab over it.

The first picture is of her eye that was pecked out. That was about a week ago. Sorry about the quality of pix, I was very shook up....
The second one is a picture of her taken today with her good eye showing. She is a bantam Cochin and I think I see some frizzle feathers coming in.

So now we know that mama heat pad is also good for special needs chicks as well.

 

[aart]

Maybe it's the pic angle or the chicks stance.....but it's head looks kinds out of proportion/malformed... small skull in relation to the beak size.

 

[perchie.girl]

Maybe it's the pic angle or the chicks stance.....but it's head looks kinds out of proportion/malformed... small skull in relation to the beak size.
Quote:
Optic illusion due to the coloration over the beak area....

 

[Beekissed]

@Beekissed
Since you have some experience w/dogs and livestock... what do you think about the possibility of a 2yo Anatolian Shepherd Male (Neutered) rescue being trained to chickens? Think it's too late for training a 2 yo? Description says he gets along with cats and is good w/children which may be a good sign.

I think it is definitely doable if you have the resolve to make it happen. These LGD breeds take a strong owner and I hear a lot of stories where things are blamed on the breed but within the story all I usually read between those lines is "weak owner"....letting the dog get by with dominant behavior towards humans because it's a "breed trait", letting the dog get by with wrong behavior towards the chickens without clear cut, consistent and immediate corrections, etc. Probably how many of these dogs wind up in a rescue situation in the first place, simply because they fail to see that he is a dog first and a breed second. First address the dog instincts, then channel the breed instincts.

A lot of folks will also keep the dog separate from the flock "until he gets used to them" but I think it's a big mistake. There he is living alongside the flock but unable to interact, left to his own devices and no one to correct his over excitement when they run, squawk, fight, mate, etc. I think they need to be living with them after some initial obedience and chicken training, and an ongoing training would need to happen to get the dog to respect the owner and also the owner's property...the chickens. An owner cannot correct the dog about unwanted behavior unless he's allowed to be in a situation wherein those behaviors would be displayed.

While it's true that the LGD may not bond with a chicken flock like he would sheep or goats, he will establish territory and guard that, so one simply places his territory around the chicken's hub of life. It can be done...I've done it, many have done it and these dogs are hugely intelligent, so they can learn just about anything given the time and opportunity. The Anatolian breed seems to be incredibly intuitive and eager to please, almost anticipating what he thinks you may want, so all instruction has to be very clear and consistent so he doesn't start directing the show as he tries to anticipate your wishes. And I do mean consistent....don't let him get by with anything because they can really sense your weakness....but they can also sense when you are being a bit too harsh or unfair in your punishment, so I'd go about establishing a good bond first of all, then learn from each other how to make this partnership work. And make no mistake...you will have a partner if you can earn that respect.

Ben has been an amazing dog so far and I've learned as much from him as I have taught him and I expect that will continue as long as we have a life together. He's very complex, loyal and loving.

 

[aart]

Quote:
Optic illusion due to the coloration over the beak area....
Maybe....top of skull looks low and flat.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree....definitely crow headed.

 

[Finnie]

Hi folks! My previous group under my Mini Mama Heat Pad are all feathered up and mostly sold. Now I have it cleaned up with a new cover, and the newest group placed under it this morning. So time to pay some cuteness dues!















The clothes pins worked amazingly well last time, so I'm sticking with them.

There's 11 Cream Legbar hybrids under there, some mixed with EE and some mixed with Black Copper Marans, for olive leggers.