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

[Blooie]

@aart , one of these days I'm going to spot and check that little "unread post" thing down at the bottom!

 

[71chickens]

Thanks Aart and Blooie! Since it has decided to be teens below zero here I put the sweeter heater out with the big girls to give it a test run. It has worked great so far even though they are a bit afraid of it right now. Anything to take the edge off for them. The garage got down to 20 degrees with -18* outside. I think the chicks will be okay there. I am probably going to buy two heating pads and try that out. I can always add more heat if needed but I am very afraid of heat lamps. Blooie, I have read your article (many times) about brooding outside. It is what has given me the confidence to brood in my garage. I'll most likely have the peeps in a dog crate for a day or two to make sure everyone checks out, but then out to the garage they will go. Once the temps here stabilize a bit, March-ish, I will get them out to the coop. Thanks again for the replies.

 

[sprucie]

I'm using a heatjng pad for the first time, and its great, they seem to be feathering out faster

 

[Spinning Carrie]

I got a big portion of my brooder taken care of today.

I went to Costco's produce department and asked if they had any of the really large heavy duty cardboard bins they keep things like onions in and they had one. It is about 4 ft by 4ft and about 2 ft deep. I figured I don't really plan on needing to reuse it, it was free, and a nice size for my 7 chicks when I get them.

A quick question for you all: I ordered my chicks from a breeder in California, and don't have my shipping dates yet (he goes in order they were received, and I ordered a variety, at least one of which isn't currently laying/fertile). Anyway, I know I won't get my chicks for at least a month, and we are planning on being out of town in early April. What is the youngest age you would feel comfortable leaving chicks for a couple days and having someone check on them once a day? Of course I want my little fluffy butts as soon as I possibly can get them, but I am wondering if I should request a delivery date after we get back.

Carrie

 

[perchie.girl]

 

[Blooie]

As long as they have plenty of fresh food and you don't have to worry about their water getting dumped, soiled, or running out (not to mention them drowning in it if is an open waterer) and you have someone looking in on them, I'd think they'd be fine after a week or so. I brood mine outside and I'm sure not sitting out there on top of them every minute of the day watching them. Sometimes I'd go out early in the morning and wouldn't get back out until early the next morning.

That being said, if there's any way you can delay the shipping, that would be the best and safest bet. Those little stinkers can find more ways to get themselves into pickles that defy explanation sometimes! @azygous sadly lost a chick that got hung up in the wire of the metal frame. And an unforseen power outage over a couple of days could be devastating. So as much as I don't stress over raising chicks anymore, if it was me I'd wait.

 

[Hholly]

Hey y'all! I'm getting some day old chicks in about 10 days. I've assembled my brooder and have the Mama Heating Pad cave set up. It's very cold here now. But the forecast for when the chicks arrive is nights in the 20s, days in the 30s. I had planned to keep the chicks in my house for the first 2 weeks, just because I want to be able to look at them a lot. Will it be too big of a shock to move them out to the coop with the heat cave after being inside for 2 weeks? If so, how do I make the transition? Thanks for any suggestions.
If this topic has already been covered, sorry. This thread is so long, I'm still trying to catch up.

 

[Blooie]

If you have them in a room that gets dark as the sun goes down and they know to go to the cave, you should be okay to put them out without fuss or fanfare. If at all possible, keep the room they are in chillier than the rest of the house. Taking them from a 70 degree room after 2 weeks to a 30 degree space is pretty drastic, I'm thinking. Once you put them out, go out with a flashlight at night and check to see if they are on and/or under the cave. The biggest adjustment for chicks moving out seems to be being plunged into darkness at night, which is why I don't use any lights in the room they are in inside the house. If the room they are in gets dark with the sunset, then they already know to sleep at night.

 

[Hholly]

If you have them in a room that gets dark as the sun goes down and they know to go to the cave, you should be okay to put them out without fuss or fanfare. If at all possible, keep the room they are in chillier than the rest of the house. Taking them from a 70 degree room after 2 weeks to a 30 degree space is pretty drastic, I'm thinking. Once you put them out, go out with a flashlight at night and check to see if they are on and/or under the cave. The biggest adjustment for chicks moving out seems to be being plunged into darkness at night, which is why I don't use any lights in the room they are in inside the house. If the room they are in gets dark with the sunset, then they already know to sleep at night.

Ok, great! Thanks for the info! If I need to I will keep them in the house longer so the temp difference won't be so drastic. But they will be in my upstairs which stays around 60, and I'll keep the lights out. Thanks again! So excited!!! I've had broody hens raise chicks before. But I'm excited to be raising some that I can tame down a little more, this time.

 

[aart]

Quote: If they are in a room where you can close it off from the rest of the house, you could crack a window to keep that room colder after the first week.
Keeping the brooder room door closed will also keep the dust in that room, less to clean up after they move out...the dust is incredible even after just a week.