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

[monkcat]

I am Blown away by the chick cave. New to this site and I love it already. Just got my first five chicks and I am super excited for the fresh eggs and the fun they will
be. Thank you all.

Welcome! So many wonderful ideas and helpful people here. It's working wonderfully for us so far!

 

[Blooie]

I am Blown away by the chick cave. New to this site and I love it already. Just got my first five chicks and I am super excited for the fresh eggs and the fun they will
be. Thank you all.

Welcome to BYC and chickeningening - ah, you get what I mean! Mama Heating Pad and the cave has been amazing for us. Keep us updated on how it works for you, and if you have ideas, or pictures, please share! If you have questions, we'll all be happy to help if we can!

 

[MissouriCowgirl]

Empty Fun Pop box that WalMart was throwing out, best of all it was free. I just made a lid out of 1X2's and hardware cloth and they have plenty of room to play. The Leghorns have almost kicked shaving out of the top. By the time they outgrow this it will be time for the big pen. Screwed boards together on one side of the box to fasten the lid to with hinges.

need to get me one of those lol

 

[perilloux5]

I'm glad it finally worked for you! Wonder why they hesitated....they usually take to it right off the bat when they're really little! Every one of mine did, and I'm now on my third batch, plus Scout. Love the little tail feathers peeking out, but what I really think is cute is when they stick their heads out and look left, right, then left again before they pop out!

They went in, but when I went back later and checked on them they were lined up half in and half out of the cave. Butts in the cave and heads sticking out.

 

[aart]

Anyone hazard a guess to the RIR age?

2 weeks

 

[Dandelioness]

I am setting up my heating pad. It's been about three hours, the pad is turned on (with auto shutoff disabled), but inner temp is only 2 degrees above ambient temperature. (76 in the house, 78 in the cave). The pad is nice and warm.

I have straw on top, and the pad is hugging a coffee can. Do I just need to wait longer?

 

[Blooie]

What setting do you have the pad on? And how many chicks will be able to fit in a coffee can? If you have the Sunbeam Insta-heat pad it should have heated up to keep the cave above 80. Of course, the body heat from snuggled chicks brings it up a little. Maybe a coffee can isn't the best cave? What is the bottom of the brooder? If you can put straw under the cave as well as on top of it, that might help. The ground might be colder than the upper part of the cave and the thermometer is picking that up. How accurate is the thermometer?

I'm grasping at straws here....anyone else wanna chime in and help?

 

[Dandelioness]

What setting do you have the pad on?  And how many chicks will be able to fit in a coffee can?  If you have the Sunbeam Insta-heat pad it should have heated up to keep the cave above 80.  Of course, the body heat from snuggled chicks brings it up a little.  Maybe a coffee can isn't the best cave?  What is the bottom of the brooder?  If you can put straw under the cave as well as on top of it, that might help.  The ground might be colder than the upper part of the cave and the thermometer is picking that up.  How accurate is the thermometer?  

I'm grasping at straws here....anyone else wanna chime in and help?

I have it on six right now. There is sand underneath the can. I can feel that it's warmer in the can-cave than outside it, at the same level in the little tote I have set up.

I'm still trying to find some info in the thread about how long it takes for that initial warm up.

Do you think that, after 3 hours if I'm not getting mid- to high 80s, I should find a better "cave"?

The thermometer, when held in the room reads the same as my home's thermostat. It's a newer thermostat, but IDK how accurate. It is definitely much warmer in the incubator, which is where they're waiting. Two have hatched, a third is pipping.

 

[Blooie]

I have it on six right now. There is sand underneath the can. I can feel that it's warmer in the can-cave than outside it, at the same level in the little tote I have set up.

I'm still trying to find some info in the thread about how long it takes for that initial warm up.

Do you think that, after 3 hours if I'm not getting mid- to high 80s, I should find a better "cave"?

The thermometer, when held in the room reads the same as my home's thermostat. It's a newer thermostat, but IDK how accurate. It is definitely much warmer in the incubator, which is where they're waiting. Two have hatched, a third is pipping.

Good grief! You are in a time crunch then! Um, um.....um...... The heating pad itself should have warmed to the 6 temp setting within 30 seconds, and the cave should have heated correspondingly in less than 15-20 minutes. That's always been my experience, even when it was super cold with high winds, sideways snow and super cold temps and we lost power. Had to restart the pad and it was almost instantly warmed back up.

I would think that the airy spaces in the straw would be more comfortable than sand. Being denser, sand will probably absorb the heat but not have the air flow. And although sand will warm up, it doesn't have the little air pockets they snuggle down into. So first thing I think I'd do is put some straw down where the cave will set. Second, the coffee can concerns me. I just don't know enough about physics and that stuff to tell you why, but my gut tells me the thin aluminum is letting heat pass up and out. Plus that enclosed aluminum might end up getting hot to the touch for the babies. There could also be too much distance between the inside top of the can and the floor. So here's what I'd do.

First, I'd get some kind of more open, heavy cave....monkcat is using a flower pot but her chicks are older. Aart uses a grill grate from a broiler or something, I use a piece of bent wire fencing, someone else is using doubled up hardware cloth formed into a cave - anything that is heavy enough to hold heat, and preferably has some openings so the underside of the pad is facing right down at the chicks - hence the reason I prefer an open wire frame. Drape your heating pad over that. If you can, leave a little uncovered at the front for cool zone but drape some over the back and tuck it behind the cave.

Second, get a towel - any old towel or even a flannel pillowcase like Bee uses, and cover the pad. Right over the top, down the back, and down the sides. You are trying to form a blanket of heat so you want to enclose it as much as possible, leaving an in-and-out opening at the front. Notice the "awning". Then set your cave over a thick layer of either pine shavings or straw. Make sure the floor of the cave is of either material. You can cover that with paper towels if you worry about them eating it for the first few days. If you're planning on brooding outdoors, then cover the top, and the sides with it too. If you are starting them out of the incubator, I'd recommend starting them inside, especially since you aren't quite getting the temperature you want. In that case just the frame, the heating pad, and the folded towel should be enough. Personally I think the added heavy insulation of the towel is key.


Mama Heating Pad in an inside brooder.....just the pad and the towel with shavings underneath. This gave me an temp of 82.9 inside the cave, and the chicks were comfortable when their body warmth and snuggle factor was added.


And covered with and surrounded by straw in the outside brooder.

I know you don't have much time....the hatched chicks can stay in the 'bator for a while I know, but I've never hatched eggs like that so I don't know for how long. Keep posting as it goes - maybe LazyGardener can help..she's just started her hatched chicks with the cave system. Have I missed anything?

 

[Dandelioness]

Blooie, thanks!

It seems like I'm missing a thick towel or blanket over the heating pad, and should put some straw underneath, too. If it doesn't heat up pretty quickly, I'll see about putting some 2x4 scraps together, just for a frame for a metal cookie sheet.

So I have a couple ideas, and a much better idea how long it should take to warm up if I'm setting up correctly.

Thank you so very much. I have a few ideas now. They really could stay in the incubator until tomorrow morning, so I'm sure I'll have it figured out by then.

I'll post back once I've got things working, in case it can help another member.