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

[aart]

My little Legbar chick Sunny lost her struggle to survive. She took a sudden turn for the worse today, removing any hope.

The surviving four are little balls of fire, zipping around their grow-out pen, eating FF and looking like round tennis balls. The only indication that it makes any difference to them at all that the temperature is barely above 40 is they disappear at regular intervals into their MHP cave.

Obviously, Sunny had a problem with failure to thrive since all four of these chicks have never shown any symptoms of anything. She was no bigger when she died than when I got her a week ago.

The surviving chicks now have names. The other Legbar is Strawberry. The Copper Marans is Sable. The two Cuckoo Marans are Summer and Sage.

Bummer, so sorry.

 

[lazy gardener]

 

[azygous]

Blooie, I would feel overwhelmed trying to come up with names for that many chicks! I had a hard enough time naming these four.

Maybe our friends here on this thread can help come up with names for the "numbered" chicks! What do you say, people?

 

[Blooie]

Yeah, overwhelmed is exactly why they have numbers. Well, that and I can't tell most of them apart except the EEs. I feel a contest coming on! Two rules: I have to be able to spell it, and if your name isn't chosen you still hafta like me! Ready, set GO!

 

[7 Biddies]

Your idea or not, Blooie, I love it. Won't be getting new chicks until next spring, so I'll have plenty of time to set it up. I've never been happy with the lamps, and this looks like a great alternative. Already have the dog crate that I move them into when they no longer need the heat source, so,that's one less step in the process.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[7 Biddies]

I'm sorry. I know you did all you could. So glad that other little ones are doing well. They sure have a beautiful place to learn to be chickens! Love the names. I haven't come up with anything original yet. I had Beluga, the black and white EE, but lost him earlier this week to a freak accident. He was one of the Littles. He was one of the few with an actual name. Edited to add the names of the rest of the kids - and I had to copy and paste from another thread!
4 Light Brahmas -
One
Two
Three
Four

3 Rhode Island Reds -
One
Two
Turtles (Granddaughter named him)

5 Easter Eggers -
One
Two
Beluga (he's white and huge) - no longer with us
Bumblebee (she's brown and tiny)
Toad - no idea why

3 Red Sex Links
One
Two
Three

8 Light Brahmas
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Phred

For the 3 Red Sex Links, how about Huey, Dewey, and Louise? For the 7 unnamed light brahmas, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc, Dopey. and Bashful? (I didn't even have to look them up.)

 

[perchie.girl]

My guinea keets are still loving their MHP, and they have started climbing onto it and sliding down the sides. I covered it with plastic from a bag of pine shavings so it's a little slippery. They do it over and over again, they look like little penguins. So funny!

Not a problem once they get past a week. I bet they are enjoying the play.... Mine could fly six feet straight up by the time they were two or three weeks.

deb

 

[Blooie]

Your idea or not, Blooie, I love it. Won't be getting new chicks until next spring, so I'll have plenty of time to set it up. I've never been happy with the lamps, and this looks like a great alternative. Already have the dog crate that I move them into when they no longer need the heat source, so,that's one less step in the process.

Thanks for sharing!

You are very kind. I think you'll be as happy with this system as the rest of us have been. Nice to raise chickens instead of divas....they really know what they're doing and almost take care of themselves. Remember that MHP takes up more room in the brooder,so don't be surprised if that dog crate suddenly looks a little small, depending on how many chicks are in it. That is the only drawback I've found. Glad that you are out of the hospital and getting to eat real eggs again!

For the 3 Red Sex Links, how about Huey, Dewey, and Louise? For the 7 unnamed light brahmas, Sleepy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Doc, Dopey. and Bashful? (I didn't even have to look them up.)

Okay, added them to the list! I have yet to figure out how I'm going to know which one is which, though, especially the Buff Brahmas!

 

[Blooie]

Just got orders from Katiebug - she says she named Beluga, Toad, and Turtles and wanted all of the new chicks to have animal names too. (She doesn't know about Phred) GO!

And yes, I do try to give her what she wants. I look at her and say, "Katie, you're my heart". She replies, "And Gramma, you're my gizzard." Now how to you say no to a love like that?

 

[7 Biddies]

You are very kind.  I think you'll be as happy with this system as the rest of us have been.  Nice to raise chickens instead of divas....they really know what they're doing and almost take care of themselves.   Remember that MHP takes up more room in the brooder,so don't be surprised if that dog crate suddenly looks a little small, depending on how many chicks are in it.  That is the only drawback I've found.  Glad that you are out of the hospital and getting to eat real eggs again!

Okay, added them to the list!  I have yet to figure out how  I'm going to know which one is which, though, especially the Buff Brahmas!  

Paint their toenails different colors?