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

[MichelleT]

Okay, one of the five (the oldest, the Barred Rock) seems weak. I may be over-reacting, but being new at the chick thing I don't know what to expect. I have observed her eating and drinking, her crop is firm, but not hard... like all the others actually, bigger but she's my biggest chick (135 g while the others are between 101-110 g). Poop looked fine too. But she seems to have very little energy compared with the other four. Case in point: when we pick them up (not often, but 2-3 times per day so they get used to us) most will eventually fly back to their brooder. She just sits, and flaps a little, and when she finally does fly it's with nowhere near the strength of the others. And then she just sits. No wandering or peeping with the other girls. It seems minor, but she is definitely different and lower energy. Could she just be adjusting? She is eating and drinking...

 

[MichelleT]

And now she's oficially worse... just sitting there, eyes closed. She'll perk up for a minute if there's a commotion, but then settle back to "sleep". When I took her out and set her on my knee she just hunkered down on my knee with her eyes closed again. No energy. Every now and then she'll open her beak and then close it. Not gaping, but just opening and closing.

I'm already giving the chick electrolyte solution, and I saw her drinking it about the same number of times I've seen the others drinking it. I'm getting a 2nd MHP reading in a laundry basket so I can bring her inside to watch her. I only have one chick feeder and waterer though, so I'm trying to figure out how to deal with that. I just don't know what to do for her. I am getting seriously sad here... I've really worked hard to help my sick hens, and have been pretty successful overall. Getting the hang of what to look for and what to do. I have nothing to go on with this little one...

 

[debid]

@MichelleT what have you been treating your hens for?

 

[dyorto]

I did take the heat source away from my chicks. Just left them with the cave structure to huddle and sleep on since that's what they are used to. I found them looking quite cozy though in the big coop today.

Maybe I should put up a lower roost board?

 

[MichelleT]

Nothing lately, but 6 weeks ago I had a sick girl (crop issues) that we crop fed/watered, wormed and pampered... she's fine now.

I know you're asking because maybe this one picked something up from my girls? I have had her only 24 hours though, and she was a little slow from the start. Originally, I thought maybe the trip home was hitting her harder than the rest...

 

[Treerooted]

Just thought I'd share my experience so far.

I picked up 35 chicks but have lost 4; 3 of which were under the MHP. I know at least one of them was weak before hand.

I suspect the issue was that the pad was too high which resulted in too much crowding. I've since made an adjustment to be able to lower the pad. I did lose one weak chick under the new configuration. The den is very large with ample room to move around (2 heating pads).

All the others are doing really well as far as I can tell.

First set-up:



2nd set-up:

 

[MichelleT]

Sad! Sorry to hear that... I only have 5 and one MHP and about 8 sq feet of space. (The brooder is about 2ft x 4ft) I really don't think she was too hot - maybe too cold. She's up and about now, eating and drinking, then sits and sleeps. Then up and about, then sits and sleeps. Then flapping her wings with the rest (but weakly), then sits and sleeps. More sitting and sleeping than flapping, eating or drinking. But her poop looks exactly like everyone elses. Given the crop drama I had with our hen a couple of months ago, I can't help checking her crop. It's full, but not hard. Firm, but so are the others... i don't really know what I'm looking for in a chick crop anyway. Learning curve is steep!

The Barred Rock chicks were the biggest at the store, so I asked for a smaller one, to match the sizes of the other 4. In hind sight, I think I asked for a "runt", a not-so-healthy one. Didn't really think about that, unfortunately. But now we've bonded and I would be so sad if she doesn't perk up!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Trying to figure out dimensions... I will be making one big MHP cave, but am not sure how tall it should be in the center. It will be 24" X 24" so all 25 chicks can get under the same one. Wondering if I should make 2 separate "caves" or stick with the 1 huge cave for all. Temps are now predicted to be in the mid 70's by day and low 50's at night for this next week then fluctuating temps after that.

Last year I used a commercial brooder a neighbor loaned me, but then I only had 9 chicks at a time. This time I am receiving all of my chicks at the same time so I don't think the commercial brooder (which was great) would be large enough for all 25 plus it has a light that stays on all the time which isn't good for proper sleep cycles. Last year all babies were raised out in the coop as will these. This time they will be on the floor of the coop with shavings for insulation on the bottom.

So any ideas on dimensions as far as height for the MHP cave would be appreciated.

I have successfully raised 25 chicks under one.. I use two of the 12x15 pads side by side under and welded wire fencing frame, bungeed on and covered with a zippered pillowcase. I drape cloth diapers over the top. Plenty of room for while they are small and need the heat - but he time they are too big to fit under, they aren't under it much anyway, and perching on top. Very important to have the back open, so they can come and go from both the front and back - with that many chicks, if only one side is open,t her his the risk one may get trapped.

Here'a my post on it with lots of photos:

post #8662

Just thought I'd share my experience so far.

I picked up 35 chicks but have lost 4; 3 of which were under the MHP. I know at least one of them was weak before hand.

I suspect the issue was that the pad was too high which resulted in too much crowding. I've since made an adjustment to be able to lower the pad. I did lose one weak chick under the new configuration. The den is very large with ample room to move around (2 heating pads).

All the others are doing really well as far as I can tell.

I had this problem once - you could tell because they were all smoothed together along either wall. I didn't lose any - I observed this and changed the shape to lower it and they spread out more.

- Ant Farm

 

[lazy gardener]

I did take the heat source away from my chicks. Just left them with the cave structure to huddle and sleep on since that's what they are used to. I found them looking quite cozy though in the big coop today.

Maybe I should put up a lower roost board?

Do they have an other roost? It appears that they are hanging out in or roosting on the lip of the nest boxes. It would be a good idea to give them a separate roost area. Chicks are notorious for seeking out the comfort of a nest box to sleep in. It becomes a difficult habit to break. Then, when your flock starts laying, you will have poopy nest boxes to deal with every day, and possibly broken eggs. You might want to see what you can come up with to block their access to the boxes until they are close to POL. Also, make sure that any roost you install is HIGHER than the nest boxes, as the birds will choose the highest point for roosting.

 

[MichelleT]

So, if in the daytime they spread out under the pad (when they're under there...) but at night they huddle, does it mean it's too high? At the front of the pad my tallest girl's back just touches the pad, the youngers don't. At night, however, they huddle toward the back. It's been in the 50s at night and their brooder is outdoors. Should it be lower still?