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

[Ravynscroft]

I'm also looking into this fo a friend that sells chicks from his feed store. They used to use heat lamps, but their winter electric bill is really high, so they are looking for a low wattage solution to help offset that expense. I think they said that one month their electric bill was close to $1500/month, which is a lot considering they have no heat in the building.

Dimmer switches are an idea... I switched to using those with secured heat lamps and it dropped my electric bill immensely... I was super amazed at the difference it made...

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: It depends on the type of dimmer switch and the type of bulb. The old fashioned dimmer switch simply converted the power use from creating light to creating heat. Not a good idea. And it did not save any energy. The newer dimmer switches work by rapid power on/off to the appliance. They do not save any energy when used on incandescent bulbs. I copied the following from the article listed below. With LED lights the effect of dimming compared to power use is fairly linear. However, dimming incandescent is actually less efficient than using a lower wattage of bulb. For example, a 60W bulb dimmed to the brightness of a 40W bulb will use more energy than a 40W bulb on maximum. The light will also tend to be ‘warmer’ in colour.

http://www.thegreenage.co.uk/do-dimmer-switches-save-energy/

I've also been told that it's not safe to use a dimmer switch with a heating pad. Blooie's electrician husband can provide expert knowledge re: everything associated with heating pad use, and dimmers.

 

[Ravynscroft]

It depends on the type of dimmer switch and the type of bulb.   The old fashioned dimmer switch simply converted the power use from creating light to creating heat.  Not a good idea.  And it did not save any energy.  The newer dimmer switches  work by rapid power on/off to the appliance.  They do not save any energy when used on incandescent bulbs.   I copied the following from the article listed below.   [COLOR=2F343B]With LED lights the effect of dimming compared to power use is fairly linear. However, dimming incandescent is actually less efficient than using a lower wattage of bulb. For example, a 60W bulb dimmed to the brightness of a 40W bulb will use more energy than a 40W bulb on maximum. The light will also tend to be ‘warmer’ in colour.[/COLOR]

http://www.thegreenage.co.uk/do-dimmer-switches-save-energy/

I've also been told that it's not safe to use a dimmer switch with a heating pad.  Blooie's electrician husband can provide expert knowledge re: everything associated with heating pad use, and dimmers.

I didn't say I used it on a heating pad, was just responding to what Kathy was trying to figure out for the feed store... nor was I refering to old dimmer switches, but the ones available today...

And they certainly do save on electric usage as my bills proved that quite well to me...

 

[Beekissed]

I'm hoping to let them go outside in the run (separated from the older pullets) so that they can interact with the others through the fence. I'm worried that they'll get coci though since they aren't on medicated feed. The run itself is huge and there isn't a ton of feces in it as we just moved the run. Any thoughts?

Next time you brood chicks, just take a chunk of sod with grass intact, from the soil around or where the big chickens live and place it in the brooder on day one. If you can't find good sod where the big chooks live, just take some of their run or coop bedding and place it in the brooder with the chicks. This will give the little chicks their first exposure to the levels and types of cocci in their future living area, much like a broody hen exposes her chicks to the same. That will start them off right.

 

[Victoria-nola]

I need some help, if someone can direct me to good sources or talk with me offlist, because it's off topic. There is a lot of contradictory advice in the broody hens threads which is why I'm asking here, I feel like I can trust folks here, even tho I know people follow varying methods.

I have a hen that's gone broody, my very first. We are thrilled. She is from the group of hens that I hatched from our own fertile eggs and then raised with MHP last spring. She's in a raised nestbox with 11 eggs. She started setting on Thursday but I didn't understand and removed the eggs. But on Friday I left them. So it's early days. But she is being steadfast. We're in southwest Mississippi and temps during the day are 60-70+F, nights have been mild of late, in the 50s. We did have a hard freeze for 2 days, a week or more ago, but that could be all the very cold weather we have the rest of the winter. My question is basically, can I just leave her where she is, do I need to worry about the raised nest? Some people say they separate the hen but that would defeat the natural-method, wouldn't it? Plus I wouldn't want to break up her broodiness. Help.

Any thoughts or help appreciated. Don't wish to hijack this thread, so please direct me appropriately, if possible.

 

[Blooie]

I'm no expert on broody hens, that's for sure. How "raised" are we talking? Really high? From what I understand, once the last of the eggs hatch she'll most likely bring the chicks down and then stay on the ground with them after that. I had to move the one broody hen I had, and because it was very early she stuck to the eggs like glue anyway. I dunno....seems like 6 of one and half dozen of the other. If it was me, I'd move her down to a nice spot where she feels secure and safe, but I've been wrong before. I'm hoping someone with more experience can chime in and help you out! I just didn't want to not acknowledge your question.

 

[ShanandGem]

I need some help, if someone can direct me to good sources or talk with me offlist, because it's off topic. There is a lot of contradictory advice in the broody hens threads which is why I'm asking here, I feel like I can trust folks here, even tho I know people follow varying methods.

I have a hen that's gone broody, my very first. We are thrilled. She is from the group of hens that I hatched from our own fertile eggs and then raised with MHP last spring. She's in a raised nestbox with 11 eggs. She started setting on Thursday but I didn't understand and removed the eggs. But on Friday I left them. So it's early days. But she is being steadfast. We're in southwest Mississippi and temps during the day are 60-70+F, nights have been mild of late, in the 50s. We did have a hard freeze for 2 days, a week or more ago, but that could be all the very cold weather we have the rest of the winter. My question is basically, can I just leave her where she is, do I need to worry about the raised nest? Some people say they separate the hen but that would defeat the natural-method, wouldn't it? Plus I wouldn't want to break up her broodiness. Help.

Any thoughts or help appreciated. Don't wish to hijack this thread, so please direct me appropriately, if possible.

I always separate my broody, just so the other hens don't bother her wanting a turn in the nest box and so she can raise the babies safely once they hatch. It's much easier to move her now than when she has chicks. It can be something as simple as a large dog crate; she won't need a lot of room.

ETA: I once let a hen brood in the upstairs part of a chicken tractor (about 24" off the ground). The baby never fell out but Mama would go downstair s to dig in the dirt, baby would follow and then not be able to figure out how to get upstairs. I had several moments of being trapped in a 4x8 tractor with a panicking chick and a furious Mama hen. No fun.

 

[lazy gardener]

I need some help, if someone can direct me to good sources or talk with me offlist, because it's off topic. There is a lot of contradictory advice in the broody hens threads which is why I'm asking here, I feel like I can trust folks here, even tho I know people follow varying methods.

I have a hen that's gone broody, my very first. We are thrilled. She is from the group of hens that I hatched from our own fertile eggs and then raised with MHP last spring. She's in a raised nestbox with 11 eggs. She started setting on Thursday but I didn't understand and removed the eggs. But on Friday I left them. So it's early days. But she is being steadfast. We're in southwest Mississippi and temps during the day are 60-70+F, nights have been mild of late, in the 50s. We did have a hard freeze for 2 days, a week or more ago, but that could be all the very cold weather we have the rest of the winter. My question is basically, can I just leave her where she is, do I need to worry about the raised nest? Some people say they separate the hen but that would defeat the natural-method, wouldn't it? Plus I wouldn't want to break up her broodiness. Help.

Any thoughts or help appreciated. Don't wish to hijack this thread, so please direct me appropriately, if possible.

I've had very limited broody experience, the first time was when I was 13 y.o.! Most recently, if I recall correctly, I portioned off a section of my coop, and put her and her eggs in that area. It was big enough that she could get off and stretch her legs a bit. If she wanted out of her broody pen, I'd open it up for her. She'd scurry out and take care of her needs, and be back to settle on her eggs within 1/2 hour. I'd usually hang around to keep the other birds from messing with her nest. She was low gal in the pecking order, so she required a bit of TLC to ensure her success. I recommend that if you move her, you do so early on, or not do it at all. The biggest issue would be other birds coming into her nest, and driving her off, or stepping all over her and her eggs, laying extra eggs in her nest. The kind of bickering that can ensue can result in broken eggs and a compromised hatch due to bacterial contamination. You might want to mark all of her eggs, so that if other eggs sneak in, they can be removed.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. I've rarely had any good experience by leaving a broody in the coop nests...it's a huge pain and when the chicks hatch you have to worry about them falling out of the nest when you are not around. The other chickens are always fighting with her to lay in her nest, eggs get broken, you have to pick her up every day to remove new eggs and that disturbs the hatch even more. It's just best all the way around if she has a place off to herself in which to brood.

If you have a place where you can put her on a ground level nest where the other birds cannot access her nest, her brood and your experience will be more trouble free. You can move her at night, using very little light, then keep her new nest covered with a cardboard box with air holes cut until she accepts the new nest....try it for half of the following day and then remove it to see what she will do. I've had better success taking the hen away from visual of her old nest, as she will keep trying to get back to it.

Some hens will just NOT be moved, no matter what you try, but 99% of those I have moved were willing to stay in the new location.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Thank you, kind folks, I am on my way out to the barn to set up a broody cage in the coop. I have a large wire dog crate already covered in hardware cloth so the chicks will be utterly protected. I just wanted to make sure I would be doing the right thing, and it sounds like definitely. I'll move her tonight. Again, many thanks for your timely responses.