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

[aart]

Quote: I actually used my swivel body digital camera and a flashlight last time, but you still can't see beyond the first row of chicks.
Thin plexiglass on bottom of rack would be ideal, lift pad and you can see everything without squishing chicks when lowering MHP back down....would keep them from getting stuck in the rack too.
Not sure about the heat and plastic combo tho...both heat transfer and possible fumes.

lexan would work... heat forming for it is around 180-190 C....356-374 F.... I think we wont be getting that hot....

for what its worth Lexan is also called Polycarbonate.... and the stuff that deflects bullets.... its tough. you can drill it and tap it and screw it to stuff.

deb
Yes, polycarb/Lexan is much tougher than acrylic/Plexiglass, and less brittle, more 'plastic' so to speak.
I know it's not going to melt, but it could degas.....and birds are fragile, chickie in the Lexi house?
..and would it conduct enough of the heat? Think I'd need a very thin sheet, probably available as 'window glass' at big box store.
Have some 1/4" thk pieces here but I think that's too thick, but haven't tried it.
Just some thoughts.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: I actually used my swivel body digital camera and a flashlight last time, but you still can't see beyond the first row of chicks.
Thin plexiglass on bottom of rack would be ideal, lift pad and you can see everything without squishing chicks when lowering MHP back down....would keep them from getting stuck in the rack too.
Not sure about the heat and plastic combo tho...both heat transfer and possible fumes.

lexan would work... heat forming for it is around 180-190 C....356-374 F.... I think we wont be getting that hot....

for what its worth Lexan is also called Polycarbonate.... and the stuff that deflects bullets.... its tough. you can drill it and tap it and screw it to stuff.

deb
Yes, polycarb/Lexan is much tougher than acrylic/Plexiglass, and less brittle, more 'plastic' so to speak.
I know it's not going to melt, but it could degas.....and birds are fragile, chickie in the Lexi house?
..and would it conduct enough of the heat? Think I'd need a very thin sheet, probably available as 'window glass' at big box store.
Have some 1/4" thk pieces here but I think that's too thick, but haven't tried it.
Just some thoughts.

Out gassing can be forced if you are worried. It takes bringing it up to like 160C for a time .... but its pretty inert. Its a plastic thats often used in biomed applications.

deb

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

So I am using my emergency MHP for a different baby today. This little girl is a runt and i am afraid Mama cat has seemed to give up on her. I thought she was dead when i found her, but turns out she is still fighting. If i can keep her alive she will probably earn herself a name (Lucky? Or maybe Phoenix). She ate a bit, got a warm bath and is now sleeping soundly.
This MHP has brought several chicks back to life, hopefully it works as well for kittens.

I raised lots of kitten orphans on the heating pads before I ever thought about making an MHP for chicks out of it. Just make sure that kitty can crawl off of it if she gets too hot and you'll have that aspect covered. Good luck!

her problem was she was too weak to move, but I kept a good eye on her. She is doing much better now, still weak but awake and upright. My hopes for her are improving

 

[csneill]

So my 7 wellie chicks are doing very well & officially moved out to the grow out pen & graduated from the MHP @ 4 weeks old. So I head to bomgaars today for chicken feed & look what ended up in my cart. Oops. They are already enjoying the MHP.

Best wishes to blooies granddaughter & to organicfarmwife's tiny kitten!

 

[Blooie]

@aart I got frustrated with not being able to see them too. I just lift the front up and they all sit there for a minute and look at me like, "Hey, lady, cut the light!!" and then they scurry out!

her problem was she was too weak to move, but I kept a good eye on her. She is doing much better now, still weak but awake and upright. My hopes for her are improving

Maybe try setting heating pad up like I did for Scout. We made it into a kind of tent with fluffy towels for a bed...then he wasn't laying directly ON the pad but the warmth just surrounded him.

 

[Liddy]

Aww, those chick pix are weakeningly adorable!

I'm pulling for your kitten, too. Maybe Lazarus would be a good name? I have a tinycat that came to me as an emaciated kitten but she wasn't that young.
Then. Now
She's now a happy, healthy energetic cat who will never be what others would call 'full-grown'. Five pounds is a perfect fighting weight for her. (In a household with 5 cats and a large dog, fighting weight is required.)

Today I removed the heating pads from the brooders. The chicks are three weeks old and no longer using the caves. I replaced the structure just in case, and added roosts.

FWIW, I used a grill from a roasting pan in one as the foundation for MHP and two cookie racks wired together in the other. I wrapped those in Glad Press-N-Seal to thwart the suicidal tendencies of the chicks, and none to my knowledge managed to insert their heads where they shouldn't. When I reoved the heating pads today, I left the Glad wrap in place, added a layer of kraft paper and then a couple of lightweight baby blankets, with a kitchen towel over the overlap on those, to make sure it all stays together. That gives it enough integrity that the chicks don't feel unsettled on it. A few sat on top for a bit, until they realized the roost was there. Novelty trumped security (at least while I was cleaning up).

 

[Blooie]

Aww, those chick pix are weakeningly adorable!

I'm pulling for your kitten, too. Maybe Lazarus would be a good name? I have a tinycat that came to me as an emaciated kitten but she wasn't that young.
Then. Now
She's now a happy, healthy energetic cat who will never be what others would call 'full-grown'. Five pounds is a perfect fighting weight for her. (In a household with 5 cats and a large dog, fighting weight is required.)

Today I removed the heating pads from the brooders. The chicks are three weeks old and no longer using the caves. I replaced the structure just in case, and added roosts.

FWIW, I used a grill from a roasting pan in one as the foundation for MHP and two cookie racks wired together in the other. I wrapped those in Glad Press-N-Seal to thwart the suicidal tendencies of the chicks, and none to my knowledge managed to insert their heads where they shouldn't. When I reoved the heating pads today, I left the Glad wrap in place, added a layer of kraft paper and then a couple of lightweight baby blankets, with a kitchen towel over the overlap on those, to make sure it all stays together. That gives it enough integrity that the chicks don't feel unsettled on it. A few sat on top for a bit, until they realized the roost was there. Novelty trumped security (at least while I was cleaning up).

Cute kitty! Lucky kitty!!

Ain't it amazing to have 3 week old young chickens instead of 8 week old chick divas? They figure it out and they just sorta evolve......

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

@aart I got frustrated with not being able to see them too. I just lift the front up and they all sit there for a minute and look at me like, "Hey, lady, cut the light!!" and then they scurry out!

her problem was she was too weak to move, but I kept a good eye on her. She is doing much better now, still weak but awake and upright. My hopes for her are improving

Maybe try setting heating pad up like I did for Scout. We made it into a kind of tent with fluffy towels for a bed...then he wasn't laying directly ON the pad but the warmth just surrounded him.

I do have a couple proper MHP caves in the brooder. This particular pad has an auto off. I used it after all my chicks got soaking wet and I was desperately looking for a way to heat them (that is how I became a MHP user instead of that worthless heatlamp). I did not at the time have the needed heating pad so I got up every couple hours that night to switch it back on. It is currently 82 degrees outside and kitten is much warmer and stronger. Strong enough I gave kitten back to mama for a few hours. She cleaned kitten up and maybe fed her...I cannot tell. I am going to get kitten and see how hungry she is. If she isn't hungry I will leave her with mama again and see if mama takes care if her....if hungry she will spend the night in a box in the house. But thanks for the tips, if it were colder I might have used the cave.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Aww, those chick pix are weakeningly adorable! I'm pulling for your kitten, too. Maybe Lazarus would be a good name? I have a tinycat that came to me as an emaciated kitten but she wasn't that young. Then. Now She's now a happy, healthy energetic cat who will never be what others would call 'full-grown'. Five pounds is a perfect fighting weight for her. (In a household with 5 cats and a large dog, fighting weight is required.) Today I removed the heating pads from the brooders. The chicks are three weeks old and no longer using the caves. I replaced the structure just in case, and added roosts. FWIW, I used a grill from a roasting pan in one as the foundation for MHP and two cookie racks wired together in the other. I wrapped those in Glad Press-N-Seal to thwart the suicidal tendencies of the chicks, and none to my knowledge managed to insert their heads where they shouldn't. When I reoved the heating pads today, I left the Glad wrap in place, added a layer of kraft paper and then a couple of lightweight baby blankets, with a kitchen towel over the overlap on those, to make sure it all stays together. That gives it enough integrity that the chicks don't feel unsettled on it. A few sat on top for a bit, until they realized the roost was there. Novelty trumped security (at least while I was cleaning up).

Lazarus is not a bad idea.

 

[azygous]

The azygous chicks are trying out a new way to transition from MHP to coop sleeping. The heating pad cave was really getting cramped and they really don't need much in the way of heat any longer, especially now that the night time temps have climbed out of the freaking 40s ! So I asked my friend who has cats if she had a napping pod that the cats weren't using.

She did and she brought it up today, and we tried it out with the chicks. I put it on top the broody cage they love to loaf on, and they hopped right into it and it appeared they thought it was the best thing since sliced bread was invented.

So tonight I placed it in the bottom nest box where their MHP has been for the past two nights, and they took right to it. I didn't want to let them get used to sleeping in the pine shavings in the nest box and have to break them of it. This way, when I figure they're ready to begin roosting on the perch, I'll simply remove the pod.

Aren't they just the cutest things in their nesting pod? I lined it with Glad Press and Seal so the poops will just shake out in the morning.