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

[Blooie]

What are they telling you? I know in the beginning they like that heat right at their backs, but if they are doing well and not cheeping loudly in distress, you may well be good with it that high. I don't generally worry about what a thermometer is telling me - the one time I did check it the temp was 82.5 under the cave and the room was 69 degrees, but the chicks were contented and doing well. I wonder if you wouldn't be ahead of the game to lower the frame a bit to bring the heat more where they want it and then turn your heat down a notch. I'm assuming that they are in the house and not outside, so taking that into account that's what I'd do. It's up to you, of course. If they get too hot, though, they are likely to leave the cave and huddle together in a corner instead, and you don't want that.

Doggone it, are they cute! By the way, welcome to the Broody Brigade! Your membership fee is considered paid in full with those pictures!

 

[aart]

Quote:

I have a rooster recovering from a dog attack (doing well) in this gigantic dog crate - I think I might try turning it into a brooder, at least for older chicks. Too may overhead escapees in the past...




- Ant Farm

You could flip that on it's side for more 'floor space' for chicks.
I don't think I've ever seen that big of a wire crate!
What are the dimensions?
Does it fold up for storage?

Yep lay it on its side with the door on top. They dont have bottoms but you could cut a piece of peg board material and zip tie it on for the bottom.

This cage has so much potential. I believe they also make a roll around base for them.

deb
Or smaller wire...I put 1x2 14ga mesh on the bottom of my crates, can still slide the pan on top of mesh.

 

[melnjerm]

What are they telling you?  I know in the beginning they like that heat right at their backs, but if they are doing well and not cheeping loudly in distress, you may well be good with it that high.  I don't generally worry about what a thermometer is telling me - the one time I did check it the temp was 82.5 under the cave and the room was 69 degrees, but the chicks were contented and doing well.  I wonder if you wouldn't be ahead of the game to lower the frame a bit to bring the heat more where they want it and then turn your heat down a notch.  I'm assuming that they are in the house and not outside, so taking that into account that's what I'd do.  It's up to you, of course.  If they get too hot, though, they are likely to leave the cave and huddle together in a corner instead, and you don't want that.

Doggone it, are they cute!  By the way, welcome to the Broody Brigade! Your membership fee is considered paid in full with those pictures!

Before I set a shallow plate of slightly crushed food down, they were all quietly meandering around in there. That pic was about 2 or 3 hours after I put them in there. But I will lower it a bit just to see how they like it. They are supposed to be CL's, but I don't know about that breeder, as ALL 10 came out with headspots(I'm praying like crazy they're not all boys!). They are inside my house, and will remain until sexual charastics start showing better and then they will start going to new homes. I just wanted 2 girls out of the bunch. Thanks for the help and warm welcome!

 

[Blooie]

Before I set a shallow plate of slightly crushed food down, they were all quietly meandering around in there. That pic was about 2 or 3 hours after I put them in there. But I will lower it a bit just to see how they like it. They are supposed to be CL's, but I don't know about that breeder, as ALL 10 came out with headspots(I'm praying like crazy they're not all boys!). They are inside my house, and will remain until sexual charastics start showing better and then they will start going to new homes. I just wanted 2 girls out of the bunch. Thanks for the help and warm welcome!

You are so very welcome. I know lots of the new members of the Brigade want absolutes - this exact temp, or this exact cave, or whatever. The truth is, if it works for you and your chicks, don't mess with it. It's as simple as that! Glad to have you with us. I'd be a little worried about ending up with all roos too, but all you can do is raise them the best you can and go from there, right?

 

[realsis]

you really have a GREAT set up there!!May I ask how much the pad costs?

 

[Blooie]

Glad to see you made it. The cost of the pad varies from about $30.00 or so. The smaller ones are cheaper, of course. Back about 2 or three pages are links to the pads most of us use. You can sometimes find the right one at Walmart or Walgreens...they are just Sunbeam heating pads like you use for aches and pains. But it's critical that you are able to bypass that "automatic shutoff" or the pad will turn itself off after an hour or two. You'll be constantly turning it back on. The ones we use have a switch that you can turn to "stay on".

@aart if you are handy this seems like a good time to post a link to your pseudo-heating plate page. Lots of new chick arriving or being ordered and the more info folks have on ways to do this the better! I'd look it up myself, but dinner's ready!

Thank you, my friend.

 

[aart]

Glad to see you made it. The cost of the pad varies from about $30.00 or so. The smaller ones are cheaper, of course. Back about 2 or three pages are links to the pads most of us use. You can sometimes find the right one at Walmart or Walgreens...they are just Sunbeam heating pads like you use for aches and pains. But it's critical that you are able to bypass that "automatic shutoff" or the pad will turn itself off after an hour or two. You'll be constantly turning it back on. The ones we use have a switch that you can turn to "stay on".

@aart if you are handy this seems like a good time to post a link to your pseudo-heating plate page. Lots of new chick arriving or being ordered and the more info folks have on ways to do this the better! I'd look it up myself, but dinner's ready!

Thank you, my friend.

Sure...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

Saw chick heating pads by Farm Innovators at TSC today..$40! 11"x14" I think.

 

[Blooie]

Sure...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate

Saw chick heating pads by Farm Innovators at TSC today..$40! 11"x14" I think.

Thank you for posting that. I can never remember the name of the thread........I did better this time - I got part of it right!

I saw those Chick Heating pads online a few days ago. The few reviews I was able to find were really mixed. I think I'd prefer to stick with what I have. I like being able to set it to any setting from 1 to 6. Seems like "thermostatically controlled" heat source would leave just a few more variables than I want to risk with my chicks, or recommend to someone who's never done this before. If I'm wrong, and someone out there has used them successfully to brood chicks, I'd sure be more than willing to give them another look if they'd let us know here. I'm sold on the way I started doing this, with a couple of changes from the first few pages. First, I'd put the heating pad INSIDE the cave, like @Beekissed does. And second, I'm already planning on using the portal system for little doors on the brooder pen the way @azygous does. But other than that, I've been very happy. I know you like your setup a lot too, @aart which is why I asked you to re-post the link here. More than one way to raise these little stinkers, right?

 

[Blooie]

@Traceaskew I noticed you were on...wanted to ask you how your little pasty butt chick is doing....

 

[Traceaskew]

@Traceaskew
 I noticed you were on...wanted to ask you how your little pasty butt chick is doing....

Happy to report after that one time, there was no repeat. All 12 are doing great! getting big and trying to fly out every time I take the wire I have over the top off!