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

[Blooie]

I have a very cozy brooder box in my house with the momma heating pad in full effect and it's going really well, but I have one chick with a case of the pasty butt. I've soaked a rag in hot water and tried to remove it that way, but I couldn't get it all off. What should I do next? She was pretty upset that I was picking at her wet butt, so I stopped before I could get it all off--it's pretty stuck on there. What should I do? And can they die from the pasty butt?? I'm stressin and sad she's uncomfortable

You just have to keep at it until it's totally off. Sometimes that means soaking it and picking it off with your fingernails...I know, yuck, right? But it's essential to get that gone. After you have removed it, coat the area with just a little bit of olive or coconut oil. That keeps poop from re-sticking to those little downy feathers back there. Some folks even use a manicure scissors and trim the down away from there, but I don't like to do that because I think it presents a nice pink, bare target for the others to peck at. You may have to repeat it a time or two.

I had two who got pasty butt almost right after they arrived and I had to do them twice, but like so many others I"m convinced that MHP, the even, constant heat, and not eating 24/7 just because they are awake and the food is there really cuts down on pasty butt! How many chicks under actual broody hens have pasty butt? Nobody I've asked has ever seen it broody raised chicks, and since we are trying to duplicate as closely as possible those conditions it stands to reason our incidences of chicks with that annoying problem would be less too.

Edited to add: Nice job on the heating pad setup! Your dues into the Broody Brigade are considered paid with the photos!

 

[aart]

Quote: Yepper.....spa time needed. I put the ramekin of water under a utility light to keep them warm while soaking.

You can wipe just a tad of cooking oil on their down back their to keep anything else from sticking if it persists.

 

[Blooie]

Yepper.....spa time needed. I put the ramekin of water under a utility light to keep them warm while soaking.

You can wipe just a tad of cooking oil on their down back their to keep anything else from sticking if it persists.

Hey, great idea...I never thought of keep the water warm like that! Could have used that tip when Scout was getting his hot tub treatments for frostbite - that one is going into my catalog of "why didn't I think of thats"!

 

[Beekissed]

I have a very cozy brooder box in my house with the momma heating pad in full effect and it's going really well, but I have one chick with a case of the pasty butt. I've soaked a rag in hot water and tried to remove it that way, but I couldn't get it all off. What should I do next? She was pretty upset that I was picking at her wet butt, so I stopped before I could get it all off--it's pretty stuck on there. What should I do? And can they die from the pasty butt?? I'm stressin and sad she's uncomfortable

This case of pasty butt could mean you have them a little too warm, so if this box is inside a warm room, you might want to turn down the heating pad accordingly.

 

[aart]

Quote: Actually did it more to keep the chick warm in the chilly room, kind of like a heat lamp.....
.....I did warm up the ramekin with hot water before hand, like you would a tea or coffee cup, so the soaking water wouldn't cool as fast.

 

[muddyflipflops]

Well after a night of insomnia, i decided to research all things chicken !!! Upon googling I stumbled upon this site and oh how blessed that I did. This site is amazing, I gave in and joined the "byc family"!! Our new babies are due to hatch March 1-8. I ordered them from a hatchery about 45 mins away, so we will drive and pick the little ones up in person. These will be our first batch. We have most of our coop ready for them, we just have to build the outside area, along with their nesting boxes, and all their roosting post. I am getting our chick box ready @blooie and @aart already my two favorite people on here!!! I was of course going w the heat lamp just because that's all I have seen but was already worried about the lamp being hot around my kids, fire hazards, not to mention the electricity the things use... Now well that is so gone now !!! I am starting my mama heating pad this weekend !!!!!! I have read so many ideas through out this thread !!! Being mostly a "crunchy mama" anything natural I am all for and the fact the the little chicks feel like they are near a mama ben I LOVE!! my first step is trying to decide what to make move out of.... I had a question for @aart... I seen that you made a flat board for your hearing pad, am i correct that you lay your heating pad directly over the board? If so does plenty of heat radiate through the board to the chicks? Do you then cover it with towel then hay or shavings like others have done? I have seen cylinders, wires, cake racks, etc... I was worried about the holes and the chicks getting stuck... Also @blooie I read you no longer use sealing wrap...do you just wrap it in a towel now? I have also seen puppy pads which we have plenty of !!! They seem even easier then paper towels; will the chicks eat or peck at the plastic lining.... ? Thank you guys so much along w others on this site providing so much info to the newbies like myself ( my parents have chickens so I have indeed been around chickens for years but now my little family has land time to start our own )... Look forward to hearing from all !!

 

[Hholly]

@muddyflipflops Welcome to the forum and the chicken obsession!

 

[dyorto]

I live in Michigan and I had 3 chickens last year that I raised with the light, but I'm looking to get 6 more this year and am really interested in doing the heating pad method after reading all these great posts. Is there a link to the instructions on how to create one and what type of heating pad to use?

 

[Hholly]

I live in Michigan and I had 3 chickens last year that I raised with the light, but I'm looking to get 6 more this year and am really interested in doing the heating pad method after reading all these great posts. Is there a link to the instructions on how to create one and what type of heating pad to use?

If you go back to the beginning of this thread, there are the posts that show all that.

 

[Molpet]

I live in Michigan and I had 3 chickens last year that I raised with the light, but I'm looking to get 6 more this year and am really interested in doing the heating pad method after reading all these great posts. Is there a link to the instructions on how to create one and what type of heating pad to use?

I bought a heating pad with out the auto auto off
http://www.sunbeam.com/sunbeam-site...ER_color=Light Blue#q=+000731-500-000&start=1
I haven't used it yet though LOL