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

[Chickie Baby]

That sounds like a great plan... Thanks for replying!

 

[Blooie]

I used the large one for 15 chicks and it worked out just fine. I also have the smaller one, so I have two on hand. I used the smaller one for Scout when he was a baby. This came up once before with @lazy gardener and I thought then that using both a large and a small would work for lots of chicks at one time. Now for the life of me I can't remember if she did that or not - I'll have to catch her and ask her, or maybe she'll pop in and clarify.

But if you make your frame large enough for 25 chicks, you could maybe butt the two heating pads side by side. Since you have access to power via extension cords, that shouldn't be that much of a problem, although if my professional electrician husband ever heard me say so he'd cringe! I can hear him now - "NO. Heating pads are heat producers by design, so they draw a lot of amps. One pad per extension cord, and each E cord plugged into it's own circuit." I have hard wired outlets in both the coop and the run now, but last year I only had the one in the coop. So I used a heavy duty orange outdoor extension cord for the heating pad in the run. As soon as they were integrated into the flock, he put the other outlet out there for me.

You could also check out @aart 's thread. With her design using an oven rack, there may well be more room for additional chicks for those first couple of critical weeks. Her design is flat, while mine uses a more "cave" configuration.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/862691/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

 

[aart]

You could also check out @aart 's thread. With her design using an oven rack, there may well be more room for additional chicks for those first couple of critical weeks. Her design is flat, while mine uses a more "cave" configuration.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/862691/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

I had 17 chicks under there for a few days,
hatched a batch for someone else who picked them up on day 4 or 5,
it would have gotten too crowded under pretty quickly...within a week or so I would say.

I think it might depend on the ambient temp or where the brooder is placed,
they do use the top of the heat pad...but don't know<shrugs>

I think I would have 2 large pads set flat on adjustable legs for 25 chicks,
especially if outside where it might be cooler.
But then I am a 'be prepared for the worst' kind of a gal,
I don't like dealing with crisis's, especially where an animals welfare is at stake.

 

[Blooie]

As strongly as I believe in this entire concept, no matter the configuration, and as successful as it has proven to be, I am reluctantly coming to the conclusion that there may well be times when there are more "ifs" than the system can accommodate, and one of those times may well be having more chicks than it can comfortable support. If there is easy access to multiple outlets for power, using more than one pad will work very well. But I'd hate to be responsible for a fire or the death of any chicks by advocating plugging more than one pad into the same extension cord and a single circuit.

I guess what I'm saying is that while I believe two pads side by side will be effective, I have to also toss in the caveat that common sense should always prevail. Edited to add: If you wouldn't do something in your home due to safety concerns, then it shouldn't be done in the coop, run, or garage, either.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Where do you get Carolina Blue Sex-linked EEs?

 

[Blooie]

I got them from My Pet Chicken. They have all new egg providers. If you call MPC with an order before midnight tonight, and say "I'm from BYC, Introduce me." you get 10% off your order. I did!

 

[perchie.girl]

I got them from My Pet Chicken. They have all new egg providers. If you call MPC with an order before midnight tonight, and say "I'm from BYC, Introduce me." you get 10% off your order. I did!

Woohoo.. not ready yet... but awesome source I will book mark it.

 

[Blooie]

The offer is only good until midnight tonight, but you can order now and choose your delivery date. I ordered on my birthday and they will be shipped the 14th of March.

I should have added that you must call in your order to take advantage of this offer. I'm posting the link where Alex from MPC explained the program. The contest portion of this thread is over but the 10% is good until tonight.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1051950/mpc-hatching-egg-giveaway

 

[perchie.girl]

The offer is only good until midnight tonight, but you can order now and choose your delivery date. I ordered on my birthday and they will be shipped the 14th of March.

I should have added that you must call in your order to take advantage of this offer. I'm posting the link where Alex from MPC explained the program. The contest portion of this thread is over but the 10% is good until tonight.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1051950/mpc-hatching-egg-giveaway

I found the carolina sex links... and wont be able to take advantage of the offer. but I WILL be watching your progress.

My incubator is a GF 1588 and its fool proof a good price too. you can get 48 eggs in them you can watch them hatch through the window on the top. Its got a fan and I recommend a turning tray.. They can be plugged in to the lighter spot on your car incase of a power outage. And the ones nowadays have a built in thermometer and hygrometer.

deb

 

[Chickie Baby]

I ordered 2 Sunbeam heating pads today and I do have separate circuits to use in my garage. I'll need to check with my husband about running the extension cords to coop as the electrical source will be from our pool area. We will indeed be extremely careful with using the outlets. My brother in law is an electrical contractor and he can hook us up if the pool area is not prepped with the appropriate outlets. Thanks for your feedback, I greatly appreciate it!

I'm very excited to try out the heating pad method