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

[aart]

Quote: Ahhh..... the fabric is temporary until she's settled in better, that makes sense.

 

[COChix]

azygous, I'm glad your little chickie is feeling better.  Good call on the Corid.  

Blooie, have you checked your eggs to see if Scout is getting the job done?  

Am I the only one who has chicks out in temps mid 40's that are not using the MHP?  My chicks snuggle down beside it, but don't go under it in the evening.  In the morning, they are all perky, with a few running in and out, but I would expect them to be diving under it when the sun goes down.  They are 10 - 11 days old now.

The 5 week old chicks put themselves to bed with minimal assistance tonight.  Still a lot of complaining.  They sleep on the perch like big kids now!  3 of the girls will be going to their new home next weekend, I think.  The 2 ? wheaten colored chicks, I hope they are girls are making me start to wonder if they are roos also.  If so, that means that I'll be selling 3 of my 5 pullets.  I'm so hoping that the 2 questionable ones are girls.  One of them has white tips to a lot of her feathers, almost looks like a speckled sussex.  They both have black hackles.

Our 3 week olds seem to do the same as yours. We have been in the 40's here and they pile on the side of the brooder at dark, not in it. I have the het pad on 2. They are all active in the am and eating well. I did notice this am when I went out for chores there were a few lounging in the cave.

Here are a few shots of our littles...

Here is a shot of our broody Cornish, she is dedicated. I have been taking her off the nest for food and greens. She will let me take her off with some noise and she is good, she makes a bee-line for food and then will take a dirt bath and then back to the nest. Do you guys suggest separating her our from the main flock? She is currently in a small nest box in the main coop. I ask because she is my first broody, I know some people remove the broody. She does fight with flock mates when she is out and the rooster tries to court her but she just screams at him. Also last broody question, I gave her 7 eggs but somehow she has 10 now. I was bad and didn't mark the eggs so I don't which she has been sitting on longer. We are at day 8, should I candle the eggs or what should I do about the 3 that got added later. It was about 4 days into her setting that she got more eggs. Thanks!

@Blooie sorry about your chick.

Edited due to typo, I typed heart pad instead of heat pad...

 

[lazy gardener]

Sorry for the stuck chick loss....
almost lost one the other night, 6wo's second night in the coop and at dusk they started fly/climbing the chicken wire partition, one got it's head stuck and just hung there, luckily I was standing right there and got it down quickly.

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I don't generally type in someone's quote box, but the pop up ads have taken over my computer, and I do well to be able to type anything anywhere at all. I had a tiny fly up and get head stuck through 1" mesh this morning. They do have a zest for lift that is closely matched by an uncanny ability to commit suicide.

 

[LindaB220]

You know, I understand about folks getting off topic in a thread - I am so bad about that. But this is MY thread (teehee) and I figure it this way. If we were all sitting around the kitchen table enjoying coffee or tea together, there's no way we could sit there the entire time and talk about only one subject! Conversation bounces around from topic to topic, and as long as everyone's getting to take part in the yammering, what's the issue? Now, there are threads where going off topic is just not the right thing to do, and those are the threads where you simply behave yourself. But this particular thread is totally informal, totally hands on, and totally friendly, so if we can help each other - on topic or not - that's all good!

Funny that you should mention it, one of my favorite threads is about raising CX's and excited about it. ---- I don't have a one, but it's a great thread. This thread is a great one and I don't have a MHP. Deep South and too hot for it. I'll use it this winter though. But I still come here often and enjoy the great friendship and learning. It doesn't have to be on topic.

 

[Beekissed]

Our 3 week olds seem to do the same as yours. We have been in the 40's here and they pile on the side of the brooder at dark, not in it. I have the het pad on 2. They are all active in the am and eating well. I did notice this am when I went out for chores there were a few lounging in the cave.

Here are a few shots of our littles...







Here is a shot of our broody Cornish, she is dedicated. I have been taking her off the nest for food and greens. She will let me take her off with some noise and she is good, she makes a bee-line for food and then will take a dirt bath and then back to the nest. Do you guys suggest separating her our from the main flock? She is currently in a small nest box in the main coop. I ask because she is my first broody, I know some people remove the broody. She does fight with flock mates when she is out and the rooster tries to court her but she just screams at him. Also last broody question, I gave her 7 eggs but somehow she has 10 now. I was bad and didn't mark the eggs so I don't which she has been sitting on longer. We are at day 8, should I candle the eggs or what should I do about the 3 that got added later. It was about 4 days into her setting that she got more eggs. Thanks!



@Blooie sorry about your chick.

Edited due to typo, I typed heart pad instead of heat pad...

You got extra eggs because other hens are laying in her nest, which you've probably figured out by now. If you have a space separate I'd put her there so that it doesn't happen again. I'd not make her come off the nest for food and water either...they know when they need to get off the nest and don't need us to make them. Each broody is different and they act different about such things at different times during the brood...interrupting her natural instincts is just a waste of time. I'd just make food and water available nearby and leave her to the job.

You could eliminate all the clears but it's likely she will eat those anyway as time goes along if she's a good broody. If you don't want to take that chance, then go ahead and candle and remove.

 

[aart]

Quote: I had read about chickens doing the combo of climbing and flying up a fence, using beak and feet on fence while flapping wings.....
....never seen it before, now I have.
Was kind of fascinating until they almost got over the top 8' up and into main coop or dropped back down pretty **** hard, then the head stick...SHM.

 

[FlutterbyChicks]

I'm a bit late to the thread here, and just didn't have time to go through all the posts. I made a sort of cave with a little wire shelf, a heating pad, and a towel. I have 5 two-week old chicks and 2 four-week old chicks. I've been using a 250watt red brooder light, but I have it so high now to drop the temp, I feel ridiculous wasting all that electricity.

Just a question. I put it in today (but still have a lower wattage light shining in because being without a light freaks them out), and so far they just lay on top of it. It's not bad if they do that, right?? I have a thermometer on top, and it says it's about 82 on top. They seem to love it, but I just want to make sure the heat on their feet isn't bad for them. Weird question, I know. But I'd love to switch to this full time and then slowly take the light away at night. They're in a dog crate in the garage. It's pretty warm in there, maybe in the mid 70s most of the time.

Thanks for a great idea!

 

[aart]

I'm a bit late to the thread here, and just didn't have time to go through all the posts. I made a sort of cave with a little wire shelf, a heating pad, and a towel. I have 5 two-week old chicks and 2 four-week old chicks. I've been using a 250watt red brooder light, but I have it so high now to drop the temp, I feel ridiculous wasting all that electricity.

Just a question. I put it in today (but still have a lower wattage light shining in because being without a light freaks them out), and so far they just lay on top of it. It's not bad if they do that, right?? I have a thermometer on top, and it says it's about 82 on top. They seem to love it, but I just want to make sure the heat on their feet isn't bad for them. Weird question, I know. But I'd love to switch to this full time and then slowly take the light away at night. They're in a dog crate in the garage. It's pretty warm in there, maybe in the mid 70s most of the time.

Thanks for a great idea!

I use a 60 watt light for 'daylight'...room is north facing and rather dim even with large windows,
then turn if off late afternoon so they go to sleep with the natural sunset.

 

[azygous]

I'm out of ideas for saving this Legbar chick. Sunny is eight days old but no bigger than the day she arrived in the mail. She won't eat the chick feed, tried fermenting it with no results, no longer is interested in the tofu. She got excited about eating several meal worms a few hours ago, but she doesn't seem to have the energy for even those now.

She seems to be losing weight, if anything. He neck is skinny and eyes are beginning to bug out due to her losing what fat she had under her skin. If the Corid was fighting cocci, it seems she would be getting better, not worse.

I am afraid I have a chick that is simply a victim of failure to thrive, and it's inevitable I will lose her.

 

[aart]

I'm out of ideas for saving this Legbar chick. Sunny is eight days old but no bigger than the day she arrived in the mail. She won't eat the chick feed, tried fermenting it with no results, no longer is interested in the tofu. She got excited about eating several meal worms a few hours ago, but she doesn't seem to have the energy for even those now.

She seems to be losing weight, if anything. He neck is skinny and eyes are beginning to bug out due to her losing what fat she had under her skin. If the Corid was fighting cocci, it seems she would be getting better, not worse.

I am afraid I have a chick that is simply a victim of failure to thrive, and it's inevitable I will lose her.