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

[bruceha2000]

Is it bad to have the heating pad for too long? My chicks have been outside since they were about 2 weeks old. They are 5 weeks old today and fully feathered. The pad has been at 2 for a bit now. But there are some night still predicted to be in the high 20s. They don't sleep under the cave, just all piled on it.

My 2015 batch were raised by a broody and were roosting at night on the 4' high roosts with the 3 Y/O hens at 4 weeks. They started moving themselves there from the nest box the broody moved them to at 2 weeks of age. Access to the nest boxes is via a "perch" at 18" high, then another 8" to the lip of the box. My guess is the 7 of them and the BIG BA hen got really tight so they started moving themselves up. I don't think yours need the cave at 5 weeks. BUT those girls were 4 weeks in early July so the night time temps weren't anywhere near freezing. I ASSUME they have access to the entire coop, they will decide when and where to sleep.

Love the Mama HP cave. MIne isn't so pretty, but functional. Just got new chicks and they took a little tweaking to get them to stay in the cave. Now everything is peachy. I raised the cave up about 1 inch and lowered the control on the heating pad to 5. I guess it is right for them, they have happy chirps and then silence from the cave every little bit. Then they come charging out to eat and drink. I love Chicken TV.

Chickens don't care about pretty

and it looks fine to me!

Given the temps in East Texas I've been seeing on the BYH forum, you could likely turn it down even more. But as was noted above, always let THEM tell you what to do. Too hot, they won't go in. Too cold, they won't come out. Acting like normal hen raised chicks, spending time both in and out - JUST RIGHT!

I'm missing the broody raising thing! The new girls will be 2 weeks old Monday. They are doing just dandy in the brooder area in the coop with their MHP but Zorra had the 2015 girls out in the run every day before they were even a week old. They only ate, drank and slept at night in the brooder area (until she tired of waiting for me to let them all out in the morning when the girls were 2 weeks old - see above). These little ones don't have a clue that they should want to get out and explore

and no overprotective Mama to show them the ropes and slowly expand their horizons. NONE of the older hens pay the slightest bit of attention to the little peepers in the brooder area. It's like they aren't even there.

 

[MichelleT]

Tomorrow morning we are going to get our 5 new babies. The brooder is set up in the run, complete with MHP ready to go. I'm so excited I don't know if I will be able sleep!

 

[oldhen2345]

Sad news this morning. One of the chicks got mashed in the night. Of course it had to be the rare breed expensive one. Oh well. I will keep a closer eye on things tonight. I fixed the sides of the brooder where they can't pile up in the corner, so maybe any future catastrophe will be avoided.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

I took on some three week olds and actually put the heating bad on floor of a tote for sleeping that they can get in and out of and they seem to like it. Do you think its okay to leave like this. I was short on time the day I got them and planned on changing it but they seem very content. No bunching or crying. I have the cover over it too.

 

[junebuggena]

Sad news this morning. One of the chicks got mashed in the night. Of course it had to be the rare breed expensive one. Oh well. I will keep a closer eye on things tonight. I fixed the sides of the brooder where they can't pile up in the corner, so maybe any future catastrophe will be avoided.

You may need a bigger box. The chicks need to be able to exit the pad from the front and the back. And there should be enough room around the sides of the pad for chicks to move around and not get trapped.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Well, the MHP is retired for the season --- the littlest are three weeks old now and the oldest are 6 -- if it were just the baby-babies I'd have left it bit longer, but they are happy to huddle with their big sisters (and brothers

....though they are leaving this weekend) on the temp roost the last few nights so no need in leaving her in there anymore. Can't wait to bring her out again next spring, this has been the easiest run of brooding I have ever had - outside of the good ol' fashion broody hen, of course.

 

[bruceha2000]

Sad news this morning. One of the chicks got mashed in the night. Of course it had to be the rare breed expensive one. Oh well. I will keep a closer eye on things tonight. I fixed the sides of the brooder where they can't pile up in the corner, so maybe any future catastrophe will be avoided.

Always sad! How many chicks, what age and what size MHP cave?
I ASSUME it died in the cave, not outside? But you said you modified the sides of the brooder so I'm not sure if that meant the MHP cave or the structure surrounding the chicks' brooding area.

I took on some three week olds and actually put the heating bad on floor of a tote for sleeping that they can get in and out of and they seem to like it. Do you think its okay to leave like this. I was short on time the day I got them and planned on changing it but they seem very content. No bunching or crying. I have the cover over it too.

Where is the brooder? Heated floor is not ideal but as they are already 3 weeks old they might be spending more time on top of a MHP cave than in, at least during the day, unless the ambient temp of the brooder space is low.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

Always sad! How many chicks, what age and what size MHP cave? 
I ASSUME it died in the cave, not outside? But you said you modified the sides of the brooder so I'm not sure if that meant the MHP cave or the structure surrounding the chicks' brooding area.


Where is the brooder? Heated floor is not ideal but as they are already 3 weeks old they might be spending more time on top of a MHP cave than in, at least during the day, unless the ambient temp of the brooder space is low. 

They are in the house so 70ish. I know my others pretty much stay on top so I wasn't sure.

 

[yoopergirl1211]

They were under a heat lamp before I got them

 

[lazy gardener]

Turning to my trusty MHP group because you're always quick to answer! What type of material would you/have you all used for the roof of your runs metal or plastic?

Depends on where you live. If you are in snow country, I'd avoid plastic, unless you have a strong roof system UNDER it to keep it from collapsing under snow load. I'd choose metal, and perhaps leave some area open to the air with wire to keep predators out.

Quote: Hey, Bruce! Good to see your input here. Chicks sure don't care about pretty! I think they take great delight in decorating their MHP to meet their idea of pretty: the minute they get a new towel, they all pile on top to fertilize it.

My chicks will be 4 weeks old on Tuesday. They've been getting "big girl" privileges. They get to spend all day out in the lower level run every day, even in the nasty cold rainy weather we've been having. I had to work all day yesterday, so couldn't have been around to put them in, even if I'd wanted to. So, I gave them one MHP down on the floor of the CP coop, and left one MHP up in their coop loft. Also gave them a huddle box, which they've been avoiding. By next weekend, I should be able to pull both MHP, and let them do a take it or leave it approach with the huddle box. Putting them to bed at night is a challenge. They need some herding to get them all up to their loft area.