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

[Couchmo]

Hi everyone. First time posting here (and first time owning chickens), but I've been reading this thread for some time.
I've made my MHP cave and brought home 4 one week old chicks today. After giving them a drink they cozied right in under MHP, but they are basically staying in their cave. Does that mean the rest of the brooder is too cool? I'd say the ambient temperature is about 70. It may be they are still stressed from the move and are just feeling safer in there for right now, but I thought I'd ask you good folk. Thanks!

Hello & Welcome to BYC! I, too am relatively new to chickens. I just got a "Pet Playpen" to use as a brooder box and have constructed 2 "caves" for 2 of the large Sunbeam HPs that I got from Amazon. I got some fleece fabric on sale to cover them cause I have no older towels/pillowcases. Now I just need to put it all together. Then I'll be posting pics as my membership fee to the Broody Brigade ;-). I'm expecting 26 chicks imminently! YAY! Hope you enjoy BYC and all the great folk on here. I've gotten an incredible amount of knowledge and great ideas on here. (Thanks to all of you & God Bless!)

 

[gotro17]

The next time I brood, I think I'll use some of the feed bags I've saved to make a poop shedder for the top of the HP.  May even bust out the sewing machine, and make a pillow case, with flannel on the bottom, and feed bag on the top, so those chickies will have soft to snuggle up against, and poop shedder on top.

Now THATS a super great idea!

 

[lazy gardener]

That's a great idea...the plastic feed bags I get sew up pretty easy, I sewed a couple 'bale bags' for straw and hay.....
......and would 'shed' poops great, but it might be too slippery?
Maybe you have different feed bags?

Actually, Aart, your idea of making the bale bags is what sparked my idea for the feed bag pillow case for MHP. I "roofed" over the nest boxes with feed bags, and they do a great job of repelling chickens from that sloped roof! I think that with the gentle slope of the cave, it won't be much of an issue, and if it is, they can just snuggle beside it. I can't believe how much crud I washed out of my HP when I washed them. So... I'd like to do my best to keep the stuff out of them.

 

[aart]

Quote: I Know, Right!?
That's why I went with an impenetrable cover on top, the cloth dried up most poops, but the juicy ones leak thru.

Use a sharp needle and the longest stitch setting you have.

 

[lazy gardener]

I Know, Right!?
That's why I went with an impenetrable cover on top, the cloth dried up most poops, but the juicy ones leak thru.

Use a sharp needle and the longest stitch setting you have.

What size needle did you use?

 

[aart]

Quote: For woven(sharp needle not ball point) medium weight fabric.
Old Singer color code, red/blue 14.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Oooh I wish I had seen this thread three weeks ago! I even already own two of those heating pads (use them for orphan kittens). Ah well, there's always next time!

 

[COChix]

Can you make a different frame out of something else? It does't look like the heating pad has enough support. 

It also looks a little tippy with that rounded bottom and the chicks won't like trying to mount up on something so unstable.   That could be rectified by bending this cage in a different manner, having it more squared off on the bottom so that it sits flat on the ground. 

@gotro17 I agree with these guys on your frame. Sorry have been out of town and just trying to get caught up. You are doing the tomatoe cage frame right? I did this last year and as I mentioned before, I wrapped mine in chicken wire over the tomatoe cage for a supportive frame. The chicks spend a lot of time on top of the frame so it has to be sturdy enough for them to all be on top. Trust me they will. Are you still trying to figure out your set up or did you get it fixed?

Here is what I did last year, I started with a tomatoe cage and swapped it out for a metal shelf that was more sturdy after about two weeks.

Tomatoe cage set up with everyone spending time on top of the heat pad.

 

[lizdelc]

Love this!

 

[TillyPeeps]

Can anyone help me with the height of the frame? I have several steel frames just like this one from COChix, but different heights from 3" to 8". Does any one know what is the right height for one to two week old chicks? And I measured the temperature inside being about 80 degree. Is that too low? I have a second heat pad (hard surface for easy clean) can be put on the bottom if necessary. My original plan is to set the hard-surface pad (surface temperature is about 102 degree) outside so they have a different choice.