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

[Beekissed]

Yes, yes, good good.

Beekissed, I know this is the wrong post to ask on, but how is your natural nest MHP incubation going? I read a lot of your thread and can't wait to try it, though I'll probably go a little less on the "natural" part. If I have a heating pad on the floor of the box, and a low MHP cave over top the eggs, and a fan circulating air, do you think that will work? Plus humidity source of course. With air circulation, I would only need a high temp of 101, right? Not a hens 105-107?

After I worked out the kinks, it was a successful experiment, hatched out nine healthy chicks from it in the last nest. The humidity was controlled by the natural material in the nest at that point and it turned out great.

I haven't done one since, but I wouldn't hesitate to use this method again if I had to do so.

The only way you'll know if your method works is to try it, then refine it like I did until you have a working incubation system. It would be an interesting read, so if you do it, you might want to start a thread and let us know?

 

[Paganrose]

Babies arrived very early this morning! All 27 of them made the trip- and are actively eating, drinking, and poping under the MHP when needed. I can tell they will need a larger one sooner rather than later!

 

[azygous]

Oh my goodness gracious, those are royally cute little tennis balls!

May I point out a potential means of "chick suicide"? The little buggers will be fascinated in due time with those loose strings and may get them wrapped around their necks or otherwise tangled in them.

If you have bungie cords of a small size, they would be far safer than strings to fasten the pad to the frame.

 

[Paganrose]

The strings are only holding up the pillowcase, so it's not so floppy until I modify another pillow case to fit better. Strings are just temporary.

 

[COChix]

I had a bad experience today.

I made the last Mama Cave using the blocks like Aart showed us. It worked great I had used the screws to adjust it about 2 1/2 inches high. I used 2x2  ( which we all know are actually 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. So the screw was out about 3/4-1 inch.  I had 2 chicks work their way under the block and get stuck there and die. They got their head stuck and were not smart enough to back up and get free.

I am not blaming anyone, Whenever I think I have something perfect for animals they always manage to show me I was wrong.

Just be very careful with your cave.  I have had chicks bunch up and smoother under heat lamps too. It happens.  I just want to warn you guys to watch for it.  I rebuilt it out of wire again. I hope it is ok now.


This does not mean I am done with Aart design, I like it and am going to use it again. I am going to 1/4 inch furring strips with holes drilled in it for the screws to go through, thus eliminating the space under the block.

And because Murphy's law likes to smack me around, it had to be 2 little Cream Legbar girls instead of boys.

sorry for the loss of your chicks, thanks for giving everyone here a heads up on an issue you have run into. I am planning on using a set up like you and Aart's so hearing this before I get started is helpful.

Okay, Broody Brigade, listen up.  You listening? Not yet?  Well, I'll wait.  Humm hmm hm, dee da dee dooo  Oh, looks like you're ready.  Now, I'm not ready to go into much detail at this point, but I'm gonna be asking you folks with lots of experience here with Mama Heating Pad to kinda take over for awhile and answer questions and such.  I just got some medical news this week that I'm still trying to wrap my head around, and probably won't be on much for a bit.  I'll be popping in from time to time, but until I figure out what's going on and what it's going to mean around here, I have those irons I need to tend to.  I'm not dying or anything as dramatic as that, but I am looking at some real issues that need to come first.  


We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast.....

Blooie, of course the rest of us have your back and will help out. The most important thing is you take time for yourself and yours. If there is anything we can help with we are here.

thanks Its coming around  I can shut my eye now and drink out of a glass without it running down my chin.   I consider it a warning because when I went to the ER thiking I was having a stroke...  they found oother issues that needed to be attended to,.

The Bells If I follow instructions will resolve itself.  The other issuse will do me in if I dont "fix it"  and am determined to live long enough to live my life out on my property.    I am only 60 years old I have a good twenty thirty years left in me....

deb

Deb, I am amazed at your resilience, have read a lot of your posts. I am kinda stalking you not really but find your designs and ideas inspiring. Thanks for being honest and not shying away from your troubles. It helps others struggling with physical disabilities realize that we are only as limited as we think we are.

 

[COChix]

@Blooie

 

[bruceha2000]

So, I'm going to throw an idea out and somebody tell me if you have already done this. I'm thinking of making a box design that will hold the heating pad but also have roosts underneath for the littles to go. If that doesn't make sense think of it as a heating pad over the top of the roosts. Anybody have pictures of things they have done other than just the regular cave. My chicks are 1 week and 3 weeks old so they still need heat, but they seem to like to roost too. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Skip the roosts.

1. They would require the pad to be too far from the birds
2. Chicks don't roost. I made a set of "bleachers" for the brooder pen in my coop. I rarely saw the chicks hop up on it though they did hop up on things outside the brooder.

I loved this idea but I can't stand the thought of using anything with an AUTO OFF feature - I would never sleep! I rigged up a small experiment with an aluminum foil roasting pan and two reptile heating pads. Because I plan to brood my chicks outside in the empty coop it just didn't' generate enough heat to keep ME happy ( maybe the chicks would have been fine, who knows).
For a few dollars more than a household heating pad you could buy an extra large reptile heater. It's either on or off, no electronics to go wrong. One size comes with adhesive on it and they tend to be at least a little moisture resistant. Might be a viable option?

And therein lies the rub. You are not suited to being raised under a warm hen or surrogate heating pad, chicks are

You lack feathers, you lack a bunch of little buddies to snuggle with. When born you lacked the ability to walk, talk, feed yourself.

Plus, the chicks need less heat in the cave as they feather out. If the reptile pad is either on or off, it will eventually be too hot in the cave if it isn't at the outset. MHP cave, heat lamp, ceramic plate, it doesn't matter what your heat source is, you need to be able to adjust the temperature according to the birds' behavior.

You can buy a pad that has an override for the 2 hour shutoff or you could buy a pad that doesn't have an automatic shutoff. Either will have more than one heat setting.

My reading comprehension is pretty good, thanks. My point was that I would lie awake at night wondering if it was warm enough or if somehow the device had shut itself off despite my best efforts to the contrary. And my power DOES go out frequently, especially in winter, sometimes for 12 hours at a time.
I love the concept it's just not in my comfort zone.

If the power goes out for 12 hours you better be planning to move the chicks next to a roaring wood stove in the house. Heat plates, heat lamps, heat "anything" you are likely to use to brood chicks takes electricity. Sounds like you would want the pad that doesn't have any auto-off since they will heat back up without human intervention when the electricity comes back on.

Thanks! I do love the concept and it did reveal to me the idea that my chicks might appreciate a day/night cycle. I put together a separate heat lamp with a ceramic heat emitter for sleepy time. I'll swap it back and forth with my infrared to create light and dark cycles.

I think you are taking something simple and turning it into a Rube Goldberg contraption. The MHP, like a hen, is a simple thing. It is a warm area to go under to sleep at night or warm up during the day. That's it. Neither takes 1 second of your time to keep the chicks warm once set up other than maybe lowering the heat setting on the non live heat source. Using a hen has big advantages though. They take the littles out and teach them everything they need to know about living. Of course they would figure that out themselves, my original 12 did. But last summer Zorra showed the littles all the good daytime "hangout" places, where and what to forage, took them back to the coop at the appropriate time etc.

If you go with your heat lamp / ceramic heat plate plan, watch for a too warm environment and potential pasty butt. If you aren't aware of what that is, read up on it before the chicks arrive and be vigilant in checking and know how to deal with it. And deal with it before it becomes a big problem.

I know this irritated the little ones, but I did a lot of head counts lifting the MHP to peek to ensure that wasn't happening with this batch, even though it's entirely enclosed in a pillowcase. (Less worried now that they're a week old and running around so much, but I still do head counts. I'm the nervous type.). Unfortunately, they're pretty good at finding ways to get into trouble....

Sorry this happened.

Of course it was the pullets.

- Ant Farm

I do headcounts every night on my girls. Have to make sure they are all in the barn before I close the door. Every now and then I have to go looking for one that was so busy foraging she didn't notice all the others headed "home"

Sorry for the loss Ralphie, especially with CLs, they are a pretty rare breed here.

 

[curious chickee]

I better get working on my other MHP, I have one attached to underneath my grow out pen shelf for older chicks, but the new ones hatch in a couple weeks. I took apart my old one as it was made with kennel wire abs I had chicks get their head stuck. I have 2 heating pads, using 1/4" hardware cloth as these are bantams. And I will be hatching out a few chicks each week all year long. (Exhibition birds). I am going to use multiple bins and move them to a new bin as the get older or get crowded, until 3 weeks old grow out pen with access to run. I am using wood blocks on each corner each bin a different height. I will post more pictures as I create it.

 

[lazy gardener]

The strings are only holding up the pillowcase, so it's not so floppy until I modify another pillow case to fit better. Strings are just temporary.

Chickie suicide is not temporary. I hope I'm not sounding snarky, but... string around chicks or any animal for that matter is a disaster waiting to happen. It only takes a second.

 

[Paganrose]

Quote: Strings are already gone- new cover in place. All is well