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

[perilloux5]

I LOVE this thread! I thank all of you who posted.
I'm a newbie at raising chicks and have 3 Orpingtons and 3 Black SexLinks. I have them inside and am currently using a heat lamp secured by clamps. Here is a picture.
We will be moving them to the coop that is in our garage soon but I will still need a heat source since it is still cold out there 40 to 55 depending on the weather.
Does anyone think this kind of heat pad will work if I place it high enough on a wire cloth frame? It has low medium and high setting.
I would check the temp inside to see if it is the right temp. But what do you all think?

I have that heating pad and it does have an automatic shut off, so it will not work. You have to have one that allows you to turn off the auto shut off.

This is the one that I bought, it has a button to cut off the auto off.

 

[dheltzel]

This is the one I bought, it does not auto-shutoff:

http://amzn.com/B000FGDDI0

There is also a model that is 12x15 if you want a smaller one.

 

[LindaB220]

Just got my heating pad in and have to get it set up as my chicks should be shipping in 12 days. I like this idea as I am not too fond of heat lamps and makes it easier for them to get out of the heat if they are getting overheated. I live in Louisiana so we are already having some 70 degree plus days already.

Hey Louisiana!!!!

Have you visited to La thread. Look under social and find La Peeps. Come see us. I'm out of Shreveport but most are from the Baton Rouge New Orleans area. Good luck with the new babies. I don't have my heating pad set up yet either. ha

 

[Blooie]

And the new babies are outside.....they love all the space, have figured out where the cave is, and they are doing fine. I'll check on them in a little bit to make sure they are all getting water, then make sure they are all tucked into the cave this evening. I kept the littlest one with another smaller one in the house for now. They'll probably go out tomorrow. The littlest one is the one who didn't look very good yesterday, and although she's perked up a little since then I'd rather keep a close eye on her. The other chick is just to keep her company.

 

[Blooie]

Just got my heating pad in and have to get it set up as my chicks should be shipping in 12 days. I like this idea as I am not too fond of heat lamps and makes it easier for them to get out of the heat if they are getting overheated. I live in Louisiana so we are already having some 70 degree plus days already.

Oh, I can't wait to see pictures of them! I love seeing the new chicks, and how folks have taken this idea and run with it - changing to what suited them better and making modifications where they could.

 

[Cearbhael]

What do you use to prop up the heating pad to create the cave? I have a few old heating pads. I figure I can use my oven thermometer to find out what the ambient temp would be inside. I just need to figure out how to support the pad so it won't collapse onto the chicks, without blocking the heat.

 

[aart]

What do you use to prop up the heating pad to create the cave? I have a few old heating pads. I figure I can use my oven thermometer to find out what the ambient temp would be inside. I just need to figure out how to support the pad so it won't collapse onto the chicks, without blocking the heat.

@Cearbhael Read thru the whole thread....it's well explained and there are other iteration that other folks have tried.

 

[Beekissed]

What do you use to prop up the heating pad to create the cave? I have a few old heating pads. I figure I can use my oven thermometer to find out what the ambient temp would be inside. I just need to figure out how to support the pad so it won't collapse onto the chicks, without blocking the heat.

The older heating pads may not have the option to leave them on all the time, which means they would shut off automatically after a few hours as a safety feature. I use woven wire fencing to create an arch to support the heating pad. You can click on the gallery of pics that go along with this thread to view what everyone is using for supporting the pad and creating a space for chicks.

Hey, Blooie! How's that little poorly chick doing today?

 

[thegreatwhite]

What do you use to prop up the heating pad to create the cave? I have a few old heating pads. I figure I can use my oven thermometer to find out what the ambient temp would be inside. I just need to figure out how to support the pad so it won't collapse onto the chicks, without blocking the heat.

my cave is (2) 2x6 a foot long cut at an angle from 6 inches at the front to 4 inches at the rear with a 16" piece of a 2x4 across the back making a "u" shape. i put the heating pad on a cookie sheet and then wrapped in a single layer with a towel and then set it on top. in another few days or so, i will have to add a piece of 2x2 to raise the height some. i never new chicks grew this fast!

 

[Blooie]

What do you use to prop up the heating pad to create the cave? I have a few old heating pads. I figure I can use my oven thermometer to find out what the ambient temp would be inside. I just need to figure out how to support the pad so it won't collapse onto the chicks, without blocking the heat.

Cearbhael, you got the right answers. The very first post in this thread shows how the wire frame was made to support the heating pad - it just drapes over top of the frame.

The older heating pads may not have the option to leave them on all the time, which means they would shut off automatically after a few hours as a safety feature. I use woven wire fencing to create an arch to support the heating pad. You can click on the gallery of pics that go along with this thread to view what everyone is using for supporting the pad and creating a space for chicks.

Hey, Blooie! How's that little poorly chick doing today?

As Bee said, just any old heating pad laying around most likely won't work. You have to be able to disable the "auto-off" feature so you don't have to turn it back on every couple of hours. If your heating pads are way old, like the one I just found this morning stuffed in the back of my closet -

- it might have been sold before the ones that turn off automatically (after one or two hours of use) became the norm, but I still wouldn't trust it. Those old, old pads usually end up with heating elements that have gotten brittle through the years of use and being rolled up and stuck somewhere. If I'm going to have anything that produces heat around my house or my chicks I want to know that it's in tip-top shape.

Bee, little one is doing just great. She's eating, drinking and interacting with all the other chicks. She still seems to nap a little more than the rest of the wild bunch, so when they went out to the run today I kept her inside. I want to watch her for one more day before she moves out with the others. There were two tiny chicks, her and another one that was also kinda little, so I kept that one in with her for company. But if she keeps doing this well, out she goes!

my cave is (2) 2x6 a foot long cut at an angle from 6 inches at the front to 4 inches at the rear with a 16" piece of a 2x4 across the back making a "u" shape. i put the heating pad on a cookie sheet and then wrapped in a single layer with a towel and then set it on top. in another few days or so, i will have to add a piece of 2x2 to raise the height some. i never new chicks grew this fast!

Pictures....we want pictures.....