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

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:
I love this setup!!!!

 

[casportpony]

The glue gun is a great idea. We just built another MHP to enalble us raise it easier for the growth of the babies. We still used 2"x4" welded wire but I used my Dremel tool and 2 different grinding wheels to smooth the cut nubs out. Your method is much faster. I made a 1/4" thick wooden perimeter as a frame for the wire and then used 4 lengths of all thread as legs. I put a nut above and below the wooden frame and just moved the all thread up or down to fix the length. Only drawback I see is you need to have some all thread sticking above the MHP so that you have more adjustment to the height. No wonder this thread is nearing 10,000 POSTS!! We still use a small blanket/towel and pillow case to encase the metal/wood.

[COLOR=0000FF]I took some pictures of Prototype 2 today. Is working fine and the kids appear happy.[/COLOR] There is another nut underneath the wooden frame. Easy to move the frame/wire up or down as needed. The all thread could be covered if you think it is a potential hazard, we don't.

Love it!

 

[Birdinhand]

bajabirdbrain, that really looks like the way to go. easy height adjustment and I like the large fencing to give lots of attachment options. you all truly are revolutionizing the concept of heating for the modern brooder! I hate, hate, hate heat lamps.(,.. did I mention how much I hate heat lamps!) this is a low energy, efficient, low fire hazard, no burn alternative. go tell it on the mountain people, heat lamps be damed! I'm going to start getting parts for the next brooding session this fall or next spring. my chicks are at the tail end of their heating needs right now, so I'm going to wait to apply this, but wow, this is the way forward for me, this and expirments with a wooley hen as well! I'm so grateful that you all are so adventurous and have paved the way, thank you to all that have come before!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm loving the pics of everyone's creation of MHP. This morning I took the divider out between the 19 hatched chicks (4/10 and 4/11), and the 29 shipped chicks (that arrived yesterday morning). Also removed the newspaper and the paper towel. So, now all chicks are scooting around, sharing 2 XL MHP, kicking up a storm in the shavings. They have a sod mountain to play on, and a scrambled egg. PND in their water, and an endless supply of crumble. Life doesn't get any better in chickie world. They are spending very little time under the MHP.

 

[jennyf]

Does this look ok? From the top and the side. I know I need a towel or something on top. The hardware cloth is doubled over and the ends duct taped.

 

[BigSkyBird]

...

and the ends duct taped.

It would be good to put the whole thing in a pillow case to avoid any chance of a chick getting stuck in the tape. And to plan for a way to raise it as they grow. Otherwise looks great!

 

[junebuggena]

Does this look ok? From the top and the side. I know I need a towel or something on top. The hardware cloth is doubled over and the ends duct taped.

How are you going to adjust for growth? Day olds are only about an inch tall at back-level, how are you going to make sure it's low enough? Nice effort, but needs to be more adjustable.

 

[lpyrbby]

Have any of you gotten slightly older chicks (about 2 weeks old) that have been under a lamp the whole time before bringing them home? If so, do you remember how long they zonked out for after getting some darkness and warmth?

I picked up 3 chicks this morning. They had a 40 minute ride after at least 20 minutes sitting in the tote I brought to collect them. I put them in the brooder under the heat plate (fits better in their indoor brooder than MHP) but they of course were a little stressed and hungry and thirsty. They got a bit of rest before I had to move the herd outside to clean the brooder pen. We were outside for probably 2 hours. They seemed active but did nod off a few times. Brought them back in and they bounded around for a good bit, getting more food and drink, and have been under the heat plate since - Probably at least 6 hours now. They're near my desk so I can just look over and see who's out and about and I haven't seen them surface for any food. I know newly hatched chicks will sleep for a LONG time after hatching but since I haven't brought home older chicks, I don't know if it's normal, or if I should be expecting them to be more vigorous.

Basically, I'm hoping someone can pat me on my head and tell me to chill out and that it's okay

 

[bajabirdbrain]

bajabirdbrain, that really looks like the way to go. easy height adjustment and I like the large fencing to give lots of attachment options. you all truly are revolutionizing the concept of heating for the modern brooder! I hate, hate, hate heat lamps.(,.. did I mention how much I hate heat lamps!) this is a low energy, efficient, low fire hazard, no burn alternative. go tell it on the mountain people, heat lamps be damed! I'm going to start getting parts for the next brooding session this fall or next spring. my chicks are at the tail end of their heating needs right now, so I'm going to wait to apply this, but wow, this is the way forward for me, this and expirments with a wooley hen as well! I'm so grateful that you all are so adventurous and have paved the way, thank you to all that have come before!

Thanks for the kind words. This thread has had so much information and the input from others with their successes and failures has made encouraged trying different things. We tried to use what tools we had and pick the best of what others have done. Thanks to Blooie for starting the MHP revolution.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks for the kind words. This thread has had so much information and the input from others with their successes and failures has made encouraged trying different things. We tried to use what tools we had and pick the best of what others have done. Thanks to Blooie for starting the MHP revolution.

Whoa...I didn't start it.....that was Beekissed and Patrice Lopatin! All I did was chronicle what I was doing as I was learning it, and I put it all in one place! But I'm glad it's working for you as well as it has for the other Broody Brigade members! Now, there, there....<hand pat>. They are slightly stressed so let them rest up. It's unusual for 2 weekers to take the new systems - pad or plate - so well. Most folks have to shove the older ones under and hold their hands in front until the chicks feel the warmth, so you are one up there.

Well, the babies went outside today. Talk about shell-shocked - and it didn't help that the Bigs literally surrounded the brooder pen trying to check them out!! But it was 65 degrees and we weren't going to get a nicer, sunnier day with very little wind to get it done, so I bit the bullet and just did it. It was hard this time, what with losing so many so early in their time with us, and the Bantys are still really little, but I'd already kept them in for way longer than I normally do. I felt better after they settled in, found MHP, and then found the waterer. First time using pine shavings out there, but when I took the tarp off the straw and broke off a flake to put in the brooder, it was moldy! NOPE, not using it!! So after the Easter Egg hunt (the first one Kendra has ever been able to participate in, thanks to some great people at the Cowley Rec who made it possible!) I ran to Cody and got a bag of flake. I don't like it was well as far as being able to get it exactly the way I want it under and on top, but MHP is all about making adjustments, right?

I gotta say, I have a lot more sympathy for those of you just starting out with this, and being uncertain if the set-up is workable, if the chicks will be okay, and worrying about them. I'm in that boat tonight, and it's been a time since I felt that way. Usually I get them home, watch them for a day or two, then put them right out, and it's worked fine. But this batch has been a trial since day one. So fingers crossed!