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

[Fire Ant Farm]

If you put a towel over the hole in the back, it will be much warmer for the chicks and all the inside area will be warmer.

I have found that it's important to leave both ends open - otherwise they can get lost and not find their way in, or they can not get enough ventilation. Just my experience, but I think others here have also mentioned that.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: I have Nutridrench, but I actually have started using Poultry ProVita in their water instead - it has worked better for me (and I have had some chicks that do not like to drink the Nutridrench water). Sally Sunshine turned me on to it, all my chicks who have been raised on it (the first couple weeks) have done so very well!

Thanks for the pictures... very easy to see how much perkier they are now that you lowered the MHP. Hope the rest perk up soon!

They are rallying, at least most of them, and are finding the water and food and eating and drinking. I'm trying not to bug them, but am keeping an eye out for piling up in any way.

My 1.5 week olds are all on top of their MHP today. All 26 of them. It's like clockwork, and 1-2 weeks, they suddenly vastly prefer the top. Per your earlier comment, Blooie, my MHP have only the frame, a pillow case, and some cloth diapers over the top, and if you hold you hand on the top, it's still warm. Sometimes babies will burrow under the cloth diapers on top and sleep that way, a little like a mama broody's feathers:



- Ant Farm
Someone mentioned that you have set up MHP using more than one HP to accommodate larger broods of chicks. What configuration do you use? I have a 12 x 24 and a 12 x 15 Sunbeam pad. Would you co-join the pads to make a 12 x 39 length, and leave open on both long sides? I expect to be brooding 36 - 40 chicks mid April. And, I like the idea of using diapers. I found a fantastic deal on diapers a year ago. Bought them for cleaning cloths. I now wish I had bought 3 more packages of them. I also like the feed in the cave for the first couple of days. And do I see water in cave as well? I usually put feed in cave and outside entrance, and water just outside entrance for start.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Someone mentioned that you have set up MHP using more than one HP to accommodate larger broods of chicks. What configuration do you use? I have a 12 x 24 and a 12 x 15 Sunbeam pad. Would you co-join the pads to make a 12 x 39 length, and leave open on both long sides? I expect to be brooding 36 - 40 chicks mid April. And, I like the idea of using diapers. I found a fantastic deal on diapers a year ago. Bought them for cleaning cloths. I now wish I had bought 3 more packages of them. I also like the feed in the cave for the first couple of days. And do I see water in cave as well? I usually put feed in cave and outside entrance, and water just outside entrance for start.

I used two 12 x 15" ones side by side, so that the heating pad area is a total of 24" one the arch and 30" deep. The waterer is just outside the mouth of the MHP, so they don't have to go too far, and I have food nearby also, but also lots of food on the paper towels at the entrance and even into the front a little bit.

For that many chicks, you may wish to even use three of them - you'll need a lot of brooder space for it, though. I used zippered pillow cases over it all (with clamps to keep it from sagging) - having them zipped mostly shut helps with cord management when using more than one MHP. I do find that if I want the controller out side of the brooder (which I prefer, to keep it more clean), I really need the MHP right near the door that I feed the cord out of. Definitely build it and practice setting it up in the brooder well before the chicks arrive so you find out if you need to make any adjustments for the cords.

There are the relevant photos from the build for one of my big ones:














- Ant Farm

 

[Blooie]

I have found that it's important to leave both ends open - otherwise they can get lost and not find their way in, or they can not get enough ventilation. Just my experience, but I think others here have also mentioned that.

Yep, and if you have a lot of chicks, sometimes the "gang" will park in front of the opening and the ones in the back can't get out from behind them to go cool off. I've never had this issue, and brooding outside as I do I like the back closed. But I don't have as many chicks at one time, but others have had it happen and were good enough to warn about that possibility.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
As a practical matter, even with fewer chicks, (say, 5 of them), I have found that they like the option of coming and going from both the front and the back.

 

[aart]

Quote:
As a practical matter, even with fewer chicks, (say, 5 of them), I have found that they like the option of coming and going from both the front and the back.
Agrees 10x.... front and back open to egress is a very good thing, critical with a big Pack o' Chicks.

 

[debid]

I have found that it's important to leave both ends open - otherwise they can get lost and not find their way in, or they can not get enough ventilation. Just my experience, but I think others here have also mentioned that.

But, if you're brooding outdoors, opening both ends would allow drafts. I want the air where they sleep pretty still even if the air around it is breezy from the pop door being open.

 

[Blooie]

But, if you're brooding outdoors, opening both ends would allow drafts. I want the air where they sleep pretty still even if the air around it is breezy from the pop door being open.

While there are a few "musts", such as a heating pad that doesn't shut off after two hours, the rest of this method is more comfort zone and what works best for you, I think.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: I brood outdoors, and have not had an issue with a draft. The chicks are in the loft of my hoop coop. I keep the glass in both front and back loft door until the weather warms up nicely, then the glass comes out of the interior door, and eventually I also remove it from the outer door which faces north. there is enough overhang to keep the rain out on the north. I've used the 12 x 24 pad to brood 22 chicks, leaving it open on both long sides, with a bit of fabric draping down as a skirt on each side. Not quite to floor, so they can see the cave opening, but blocking enough so there is no draft.

 

[aart]

Quote: True, but drafts can be reduced farther from MHP....or loose towel covers hanging front and back still allow egress.