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

[Blooie]

Heavens no! Teehee. First of all, it wasn't my idea - I saw a video by Patrice Lopatin last year, and then Beekissed did an experimental egg hatch using a heating pad nest and she also brooded chicks this way. All I did was put their ideas to work with mine and started a thread! Besides, even if it had been all my idea, trying to profit instead of just plain sharing wouldn't have been right.

 

[azygous]

Ok, I did a test run last night in my 60 degree room. There's a thermometer in the cave and after 2 hours on setting 6, it's only 70 degrees in the cave. Any thoughts?

Try flipping your pad over so the darker side is up and the tan side is facing down. We've all discovered that the tan side is the hot side. I would bet that improves your temperature reading. Blooie and I each got 80-85F. Bedsides, the chicks are going to place themselves into direct contact with the pad, and they will be getting a lot more benefit than from just the radiated heat from the pad. Just like when you use it on your cold feet like I'm doing right now.

 

[Couchmo]

Heavens no! Teehee. First of all, it wasn't my idea - I saw a video by Patrice Lopatin last year, and then Beekissed did an experimental egg hatch using a heating pad nest and she also brooded chicks this way. All I did was put their ideas to work with mine and started a thread! Besides, even if it had been all my idea, trying to profit instead of just plain sharing wouldn't have been right.

Thank you so much for starting this thread Blooie and helping us all out. I had actually been thinking of getting a Brinsea brooder . Of course, that would have meant having to wait longer to order chicks because of the expense! . Now I have chicks coming next month because I can afford to do both . YAY!

 

[Hholly]

Muchas gracias!!!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thank you so much for starting this thread Blooie and helping us all out. I had actually been thinking of getting a Brinsea brooder

. Of course, that would have meant having to wait longer to order chicks because of the expense!

. Now I have chicks coming next month because I can afford to do both

. YAY!

You know, I have both sizes of the Brinsea brooder. It is certainly better than the heat lamp (I remain convinced that the reason why I lost several of my first batch of chicks was my inability to keep the temp from going too hot early on - and they were WIRED from the light being on all the time).

However, I have watched three subsequent batches carefully, and honestly, they don't really seem to find the Brinsea brooders very... well, comforting. They seem to only use them when they really "have" to and prefer to avoid it (even when a little chilly).

So, I'm doing my first hatch from eggs, and I'm ordering a heating pad or two and setting up a MHP in the brooder. I suspect it'll be better than the Brinsea.

(Anyone care to save me some fretting and drama and re-post a link to the correct ones without auto-shut-off, turn on after power loss, etc.? Amazon would be great, as I have AmazonPrime, thanks to my EXCELLENT brother's Christmas gift...)

- Ant Farm

 

[Hholly]

You know, I have both sizes of the Brinsea brooder. It is certainly better than the heat lamp (I remain convinced that the reason why I lost several of my first batch of chicks was my inability to keep the temp from going too hot early on - and they were WIRED from the light being on all the time).

However, I have watched three subsequent batches carefully, and honestly, they don't really seem to find the Brinsea brooders very... well, comforting. They seem to only use them when they really "have" to and prefer to avoid it (even when a little chilly).

So, I'm doing my first hatch from eggs, and I'm ordering a heating pad or two and setting up a MHP in the brooder. I suspect it'll be better than the Brinsea.

(Anyone care to save me some fretting and drama and re-post a link to the correct ones without auto-shut-off, turn on after power loss, etc.? Amazon would be great, as I have AmazonPrime, thanks to my EXCELLENT brother's Christmas gift...)

- Ant Farm

Here ya go. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NZ66KU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Here ya go. http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005NZ66KU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

Thanks, my fellow newly "Chicken Obsessed" friend!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[Blooie]

Holy Smokes, @azygous Nice catch! I totally missed the heating pad being upside down!! You're so right, the printed side is the warmer side. I must be slipping in my old age! But you've got my back - again! So many times I've missed something in a post and one of you guys will catch it - Bruce, or Beekissed or aart, etc. I appreciate it!

As for the rest of you newcomers...remember, we need photos! They not only help everyone else catch boo-boos that I don't even notice <sigh> but they also give those of us who don't have any chicks yet our "chick fix". Oh, and photos are your membership dues into the Broody Brigade!

 

[henless]

You know, I have both sizes of the Brinsea brooder. It is certainly better than the heat lamp (I remain convinced that the reason why I lost several of my first batch of chicks was my inability to keep the temp from going too hot early on - and they were WIRED from the light being on all the time).

However, I have watched three subsequent batches carefully, and honestly, they don't really seem to find the Brinsea brooders very... well, comforting. They seem to only use them when they really "have" to and prefer to avoid it (even when a little chilly).

So, I'm doing my first hatch from eggs, and I'm ordering a heating pad or two and setting up a MHP in the brooder. I suspect it'll be better than the Brinsea.

(Anyone care to save me some fretting and drama and re-post a link to the correct ones without auto-shut-off, turn on after power loss, etc.? Amazon would be great, as I have AmazonPrime, thanks to my EXCELLENT brother's Christmas gift...)

- Ant Farm

I looked on Amazon, and I could not find one like the one I have.

Here is the link to the one you are wanting. This is the one I bought, and it works like a charm. It has no auto shut off feature. It runs continuously.


@Hholly ~ It looks like the one you posted a link to has the 2 hour auto shut off and the by pass. If so, even if you have the auto shut off feature turned off, if the electricity should go out, when it comes back on your heating pad will shut off 2 hours later.

My question is, does this pad come back on when the electricity does or do you have to manually turn it back on? If I remember right, when the electricity went out on blooies, she had to go out and turn it back on. Correct me if I'm wrong blooie.

 

[Blooie]

Nope, you aren't wrong. Had to go out and turn it back on, and remember to select the "stay on" button. Power had been off for a number of hours before we realized it, but the week old chicks out there were just great - the insulation of all the straw under, around and on top of them held enough residual warmth and combined with their body heat they got through that blizzard just fine. Even I'm starting to get a little confused on the heating pads now....

The one most of us have is this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2013-...kmr1&keywords=Sunbeam+x-tra+large+heating+pad

The one Henless has doesn't have the auto-off feature at all so no need to remember to reset it. It also comes back on by itself after a power outage.

http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...ology-blue/000771-810-000.html#sz=12&start=18

Henless, if you would click on the link and confirm that, I'd appreciate it!