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

[TexasLisa]

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!

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

Ant Farm, is this a Naked Neck chick?

I loved your pictures of the MHP. That will come in handy if my hens don't go broody.

 

[Poppy Putentake]

Hi all,

I'm very glad I found this thread last year. I had no experience with chicks, so none with the “heat lamp” method to compare with, but the “MHP” method did seem to work very well, plus I did not need to buy a piece of equipment (the lamp) that I have no other use for.

I actually made a MHP frame out of wire, but this one from a 4-gallon bucket is the one I ended up using.



I cut the bucket using the saw in the lower part of the first picture, which did not take very long. The rough edges can be smoothed with a small wood plane (a block plane) and/or sandpaper. The cut divided the bucket unequally, leaving the printing and label on the smaller part that I did not use. The cutting line was made so that a 12” x16” heating pad would fit with about 1 inch of extra bucket along the margin, tapering to slightly more in front. (About 18” along the curved side.)

The heat pad is held in the bucket with elastic cords that run through holes drilled in the front and back. There is a notch in the corner for the electrical cord.

Starting out, I put a piece of folded cloth in the bottom to bring the floor closer to the ceiling. When the birds got bigger, I took this out. Eventually, I propped the MHP up on pieces of wood, but by then they were starting to sleep on little roosting poles anyway.

The chicks only had to be placed in the MHP once for them to figure out what it was for. They very quickly settled down, and their “peep, peep, peep” distress calls changed to a contented-sounding trilling/purring. The first day, they seemed to spend about half their time sleeping in the MHP, but less the next day. Maybe they were catching up on the sleep they didn't get in the brooder at the feed store.


The picture of them on top of the MHP is from the second day after I got them. At that stage, they needed the cardboard prop you see on the left to climb on, but by the second week, they were starting to fledge and even tryinjg to fly – jumping on the MHP, or even the feeder, and taking flying leaps with their wings spread.

On warmer evenings they would sometimes sleep at the entrance of “their little quonset hut” (as DH called it), but when it was colder they'd go inside. It was easy to figure out from their behavior how to adjust the temperature setting.

I did notice that in the evening as darkness approached, the chicks would always act a little anxious and restless, just before gathering together and ducking into the MHP. I am guessing this is part of their instinctive behavior, to make sure they are safely with the rest of the flock before nighttime. They have continued with this pattern into adulthood, always having a “meeting” just before marching off to their roosts (if they are free-ranging).



In these pictures, they are about 3 weeks old and starting to outgrow the brooder.

By about four weeks, (mid-July) the heating pad was always at the lowest setting. By a week or two after that, they switched to sleeping on roosting poles, but I left the MHP in the brooder anyway. From an early age, if I saw they were staying outside the MHP anyway in the daytime, and if the weather was mild, I would often put them outside in a temporary tractor made from an old wooden cold frame. At eight weeks (mid August), I had a permanent tractor ready for them and they went there for good. They probably could have moved to the tractor permanently sooner.

I am thinking that the conventional (heat lamp) way to raise chicks is based on what is practical in large-scale commercial operations. It wouldn't be economical to have enough of these small set-ups for hundreds of chicks, but in a heated building it is easy to just set a thermostat. In the same way, the advice to avoid having corners and closed-off spaces where they could suffocate makes sense iwith hundreds of chicks, but a half-dozen can pile up together in a MHP without it being a problem – that is what they would do underneath a mother hen.

Part of why I used a cut-off bucket instead of a wire form was that I had read on this thread about chicks getting caught in the wire. (The wire MHP form I made, but did not use, had a liner of plastic hardware cloth for this reason.) I had also read about water spilling and wetting the bedding. To avoid that, I made my brooder out of two cardboard boxes with a doorway between. Water dispensers were always only in the small “kitchen”, which had newspaper but no bedding. That way, the wood shavings in the “parlor” with the MHP were always dry.



Here they are using nipple waterers at 12 days. (Note the doorway on the right from the "kitchen" into the "parlor".) Starting out, they had access to water through vertical nipple waterers and also open containers. Some of them were using the nipples within a day. After a little more than one week, I took the open waterers away and they did fine with just the nipples.

Friendly greetings to all,

Poppy

 

[Smuvers Farm]

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.

I'm only brooding 8, and they're camped out in the garage. My ChickieCave is raised in the front and closed in the back, like a half cone shape (5 inches tall in front, 3 inches in the middle and closed in the back). They don't seem to be having any problems..... but should I go ahead and *open* the back side up? We're at 1 week old today!

~D

 

[wyoDreamer]

If your not having any problems, why change it? Like BLOOIE said, do what works for you.

My MHP was only open on one end. It was a heating pad on a flat cooling rack that I propped up. The pad draped across the rack and hung down on one side. The back and other side were covered with a towel to prevent drafts, and partway down the front to "close it in" a little bit. I put a remote read thermometer in there to read the temperature whenever I went outside to check on them. I stuck the MHP in the corner of my brooder also, which I have been told was a big no-no. They all survived, they all thrived and they now lay me wonderful eggs for my breakfast.

 

[casportpony]

Hi all,

I'm very glad I found this thread last year. I had no experience with chicks, so none with the “heat lamp” method to compare with, but the “MHP” method did seem to work very well, plus I did not need to buy a piece of equipment (the lamp) that I have no other use for.

I actually made a MHP frame out of wire, but this one from a 4-gallon bucket is the one I ended up using.


I cut the bucket using the saw in the lower part of the first picture, which did not take very long. The rough edges can be smoothed with a small wood plane (a block plane) and/or sandpaper. The cut divided the bucket unequally, leaving the printing and label on the smaller part that I did not use. The cutting line was made so that a 12” x16” heating pad would fit with about 1 inch of extra bucket along the margin, tapering to slightly more in front. (About 18” along the curved side.)

The heat pad is held in the bucket with elastic cords that run through holes drilled in the front and back. There is a notch in the corner for the electrical cord.

Starting out, I put a piece of folded cloth in the bottom to bring the floor closer to the ceiling. When the birds got bigger, I took this out. Eventually, I propped the MHP up on pieces of wood, but by then they were starting to sleep on little roosting poles anyway.

The chicks only had to be placed in the MHP once for them to figure out what it was for. They very quickly settled down, and their “peep, peep, peep” distress calls changed to a contented-sounding trilling/purring. The first day, they seemed to spend about half their time sleeping in the MHP, but less the next day. Maybe they were catching up on the sleep they didn't get in the brooder at the feed store.

The picture of them on top of the MHP is from the second day after I got them. At that stage, they needed the cardboard prop you see on the left to climb on, but by the second week, they were starting to fledge and even tryinjg to fly – jumping on the MHP, or even the feeder, and taking flying leaps with their wings spread.

On warmer evenings they would sometimes sleep at the entrance of “their little quonset hut” (as DH called it), but when it was colder they'd go inside. It was easy to figure out from their behavior how to adjust the temperature setting.

I did notice that in the evening as darkness approached, the chicks would always act a little anxious and restless, just before gathering together and ducking into the MHP. I am guessing this is part of their instinctive behavior, to make sure they are safely with the rest of the flock before nighttime. They have continued with this pattern into adulthood, always having a “meeting” just before marching off to their roosts (if they are free-ranging).



In these pictures, they are about 3 weeks old and starting to outgrow the brooder.

By about four weeks, (mid-July) the heating pad was always at the lowest setting. By a week or two after that, they switched to sleeping on roosting poles, but I left the MHP in the brooder anyway. From an early age, if I saw they were staying outside the MHP anyway in the daytime, and if the weather was mild, I would often put them outside in a temporary tractor made from an old wooden cold frame. At eight weeks (mid August), I had a permanent tractor ready for them and they went there for good. They probably could have moved to the tractor permanently sooner.

I am thinking that the conventional (heat lamp) way to raise chicks is based on what is practical in large-scale commercial operations. It wouldn't be economical to have enough of these small set-ups for hundreds of chicks, but in a heated building it is easy to just set a thermostat. In the same way, the advice to avoid having corners and closed-off spaces where they could suffocate makes sense iwith hundreds of chicks, but a half-dozen can pile up together in a MHP without it being a problem – that is what they would do underneath a mother hen.

Part of why I used a cut-off bucket instead of a wire form was that I had read on this thread about chicks getting caught in the wire. (The wire MHP form I made, but did not use, had a liner of plastic hardware cloth for this reason.) I had also read about water spilling and wetting the bedding. To avoid that, I made my brooder out of two cardboard boxes with a doorway between. Water dispensers were always only in the small “kitchen”, which had newspaper but no bedding. That way, the wood shavings in the “parlor” with the MHP were always dry.


Here they are using nipple waterers at 12 days. (Note the doorway on the right from the "kitchen" into the "parlor".) Starting out, they had access to water through vertical nipple waterers and also open containers. Some of them were using the nipples within a day. After a little more than one week, I took the open waterers away and they did fine with just the nipples.

Friendly greetings to all,

Poppy

Another clever design!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

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.
I moved some 4 week old Naked Neck chicks outside right when there was a little bit of a cold snap (not much, but not what they were used to, about 40F). So I moved the MHP out there and put it adjacent to the roosts I eventually wanted them to use, and when it was dark, I made sure all of them were under (as best they could, since they were bigger), and I draped a towel over the whole thing, down on both sides. This helped them on the cold nights until they finished feathering out.

But if you're brooding inside, or outside in 60F weather, I would leave the back open. You can use a flap to drape down to keep it sort of closed, but still let them get in and out.

Quote: Yep - love my Naked necks! Glad the photos helped!

If your not having any problems, why change it? Like BLOOIE said, do what works for you.

My MHP was only open on one end. It was a heating pad on a flat cooling rack that I propped up. The pad draped across the rack and hung down on one side. The back and other side were covered with a towel to prevent drafts, and partway down the front to "close it in" a little bit. I put a remote read thermometer in there to read the temperature whenever I went outside to check on them. I stuck the MHP in the corner of my brooder also, which I have been told was a big no-no. They all survived, they all thrived and they now lay me wonderful eggs for my breakfast.

I totally agree on doing what works.

- Ant Farm

 

[debid]

I guess, technically, mine is open on 4 sides then since I built a 4 leg style. It's more like a flexible heat plate that I bent like a cave and draped it to the floor on 3 sides... reminds me of a Hobbit house.

Nobody goes in/out under the low edges of the pad (except that one EE I caught sleeping with her head out!) But there are no solid edges to get trapped underneath. They all use the visible opening and duck under on the high side (and not at a slow and careful speed...)

I raised the arch at 1 week as I was adjusting the hanging feeder and waterer. Easy enough. I could hang it and just turn the legs into attachment points but so far, they seem to have plenty of room.

28F this morning, water is liquid and chicks are all over the place testing their wing feathers out...

 

[yellowflower]

Hello! I've been reading through this LONG thread lol and I just love this idea. I used to hatch silkies but haven't for several yrs. I didn't think it was normal for them under the heat lamp so I started letting the broodies do the job. I just can't hatch as many. I'm planning on new chicks this yr. D'uccles and easter eggers or ameracauna bantams. I'm measuring the big heating pad and I'm thinking this would be too big for these tiny babies. I only plan on having 15 at the most. My question is are there any of you that raise bantams and what was the difference in size and creation that you needed to do? Or was there any? And does anyone have the link to the smaller size heating pad with the auto off button? Thanks for all who have shared your ideas.

 

[Blooie]

Hello! I've been reading through this LONG thread lol and I just love this idea. I used to hatch silkies but haven't for several yrs. I didn't think it was normal for them under the heat lamp so I started letting the broodies do the job. I just can't hatch as many. I'm planning on new chicks this yr. D'uccles and easter eggers or ameracauna bantams. I'm measuring the big heating pad and I'm thinking this would be too big for these tiny babies. I only plan on having 15 at the most. My question is are there any of you that raise bantams and what was the difference in size and creation that you needed to do? Or was there any? And does anyone have the link to the smaller size heating pad with the auto off button? Thanks for all who have shared your ideas.

Howdy! My Silkies did just great under Mama Heating Pad. I had them (and still have them) with the standards. If you are planning on 15 of them, I think I'd still go with the larger pad. You can smoosh it down to be lower, but remember that they put out their own body heat too so for them it's kinda nice after a few days to go under and not be on top of one another while they snooze.

However, if you'd still rather use the smaller one (and that's just fine too, because except for at night they aren't all under it at the same time anyway) I picked mine up at Walmart. Walgreens also has them. It's the exact same pad, just a smaller version. You'll find that after a couple of days they'll park on top of it and survey their domain, and after a couple of weeks they'll spend more time on top of it than under it. Good luck!

 

[chonsey]

Love the bucket idea.