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

[Blooie]

Mine are on for months st a time, nonstop, and have done fine. Anything electrical, from a phone charger to a coffee pot, can pose a risk. The question is, what is your personal comfort zone? I've touched a running light bulb and I've touched a running heating pad - I'll take the pad any day! LOL

I'm on my stupid phone and it won't let me go back to the previous page without losing this one, so forgive me for missing the name on the post about the dead heating pad - are you sure it's really dead? Unplug the pad from the controller cord and from the outlet and wait about 5 minutes. Then plug everything back in and turn it back on. That happened to me once and I never did figure out why. Never happened again, either. I think it just wants to make sure you're paying attention!

 

[snow5164]

Right on Blooie,
Friends lost their house to a plugged in toaster .... always risks in life

 

[debid]

Mine are on for months st a time, nonstop, and have done fine. Anything electrical, from a phone charger to a coffee pot, can pose a risk. The question is, what is your personal comfort zone? I've touched a running light bulb and I've touched a running heating pad - I'll take the pad any day! LOL

I'm on my stupid phone and it won't let me go back to the previous page without losing this one, so forgive me for missing the name on the post about the dead heating pad - are you sure it's really dead? Unplug the pad from the controller cord and from the outlet and wait about 5 minutes. Then plug everything back in and turn it back on. That happened to me once and I never did figure out why. Never happened again, either. I think it just wants to make sure you're paying attention!

It's a safety feature that's common on devices like these. A power surge triggers it and then you can reset the device by unplugging. My heated mattress pad has this and I had no idea until I contacted Sunbeam.

BTW, it's entirely possible the folks with melted controllers had a power surge rather than the device itself failing.

 

[ImportTheBest]

Too true ladies, thank you! I'm assuming having the cord go straight up and out of the brooder from the MHP setup will help in reducing risk, as the controller won't be in contact with the pine shavings?

OK next question!
I am getting 9 layers and 10 meat birds in one shipment.... Hindsight is better off course, and I'm now seeing that I shouldn't have done that but I really wanted my layers sooner, lol! I know I will need to separate the groups after the first week or so, which means I may need two heating setups. I know several of you have done meat birds so I hope it's okay to get a few answers here. How soon do the cornishX feather out and not need the added heat anymore? FYI I'm in Kentucky and is anything from 23 to 41 degrees at night outside, and 35 to 62 degrees during the day for the next couple of weeks, but the garage will be about 10 degrees warmer at most. And a visual of the brooder.

 

[junebuggena]

Too true ladies, thank you! I'm assuming having the cord go straight up and out of the brooder from the MHP setup will help in reducing risk, as the controller won't be in contact with the pine shavings?

OK next question!
I am getting 9 layers and 10 meat birds in one shipment.... Hindsight is better off course, and I'm now seeing that I shouldn't have done that but I really wanted my layers sooner, lol! I know I will need to separate the groups after the first week or so, which means I may need two heating setups. I know several of you have done meat birds so I hope it's okay to get a few answers here. How soon do the cornishX feather out and not need the added heat anymore? FYI I'm in Kentucky and is anything from 23 to 41 degrees at night outside, and 35 to 62 degrees during the day for the next couple of weeks, but the garage will be about 10 degrees warmer at most. And a visual of the brooder.

Both the layers and the meaties will be ready to go outside by about 4 weeks with those temps. The main reason for keeping them separate is that the layer breeds need unlimited access to feed, but the meaties need a controlled feeding schedule after 4 weeks of age to slow down their growth rate.

 

[lazy gardener]

Too true ladies, thank you! I'm assuming having the cord go straight up and out of the brooder from the MHP setup will help in reducing risk, as the controller won't be in contact with the pine shavings?

OK next question!
I am getting 9 layers and 10 meat birds in one shipment.... Hindsight is better off course, and I'm now seeing that I shouldn't have done that but I really wanted my layers sooner, lol! I know I will need to separate the groups after the first week or so, which means I may need two heating setups. I know several of you have done meat birds so I hope it's okay to get a few answers here. How soon do the cornishX feather out and not need the added heat anymore? FYI I'm in Kentucky and is anything from 23 to 41 degrees at night outside, and 35 to 62 degrees during the day for the next couple of weeks, but the garage will be about 10 degrees warmer at most. And a visual of the brooder.

It's been a long time since I've done CXR. But, several years ago, I did Pioneer (aka Dixie Rainbow) with a group of layers, and they stayed together for the duration. the Pioneers were much larger, and eventually doubled the layers in size. At that time, I was running 2 heat lamps in a large brooder in my garage, to ensure that there was plenty of heat for the birds to spread out under, and so there would be less risk of pig piling. As long as you provide several entry/exit points, and have one end of the pad lower to accommodate the layers, you might be ok with a single set up. You'll just have to play it by ear, and see how it works. Be prepared with a plan B, just in case you run into problems with them brooding together. (this was before I knew about MHP)

 

[Giggles73]

I am thinking about ordering my chicks today here in Utah, they said it would be about 2 weeks for them to arrive. I ordered my coop on Sunday and it takes 2 weeks as well. How long do the chicks need to stay "inside"? I am ordering 3 Cochins (hopefully blue) and 3 Sussex (hoping these are speckled). I just want to make sure my coop is ready for them when they are ready to go outside. Our lows are still in the mid 20's and highs are anywhere from low 30's to mid 50's here. I plan to set up the "brooder" (I'm new to this) in the garage which stay about 10 degrees warmer than outside. Any first timer advice is welcome.

 

[junebuggena]

I am thinking about ordering my chicks today here in Utah, they said it would be about 2 weeks for them to arrive. I ordered my coop on Sunday and it takes 2 weeks as well. How long do the chicks need to stay "inside"? I am ordering 3 Cochins (hopefully blue) and 3 Sussex (hoping these are speckled). I just want to make sure my coop is ready for them when they are ready to go outside. Our lows are still in the mid 20's and highs are anywhere from low 30's to mid 50's here. I plan to set up the "brooder" (I'm new to this) in the garage which stay about 10 degrees warmer than outside. Any first timer advice is welcome.

Chicks need access to a heat source till they are mostly feathered in. That usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the ambient temp of the brooder. The cooler the brooder is kept, the faster they feather in. I routinely have 4 chicks off heat and outside in temps of 30 to 40 degree weather.
Hope that coop is big. Cochins are considered an extra large breed.

 

[debid]

I am thinking about ordering my chicks today here in Utah, they said it would be about 2 weeks for them to arrive.  I ordered my coop on Sunday and it takes 2 weeks as well. How long do the chicks need to stay "inside"?  I am ordering 3 Cochins (hopefully blue) and 3 Sussex (hoping these are speckled).  I just want to make sure my coop is ready for them when they are ready to go outside.  Our lows are still in the mid 20's and highs are anywhere from low 30's to mid 50's here.  I plan to set up the "brooder" (I'm new to this) in the garage which stay about 10 degrees warmer than outside.  Any first timer advice is welcome.

Will you have electricity to the coop? Is it predator proofed? If so, you can start them outside in the coop. It's probably safer than your garage (which is unlikely to be proofed against rats and snakes). It's really up to you how long you want chickens in your garage but they can go without heat at 6-10 weeks (depending on the speed they feather -- you'll be able to see when they're covered).

 

[Giggles73]

The coop will be predator proofed before any chickens go out into it. I also have 3 dogs and a cat so this is a must, even though the area where the coop will be fenced off will additional fencing. I can run an extension cord out to the coop, I am also thinking of having an electrician out to put an outlet on the outside of our garage since the coop will be close to our detached garage. As for rats and snakes, if they are in my attached garage then I have other issues. I haven't seen any rats or snakes in our garage or yard since we moved in last year.