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

[bruceha2000]

You can bypass the local HS. They got their money out of me! But, you can do a gift certificate to the HS in W Vt. for Bruce. I hear he's looking for a good LGD.

And a LOT of 5' fence!

BTW the "white sport" is not for sale. Unless you write me a very large check, they are kind of rare.

Until there is the famed and very prized "Duluth Ralphie" line of white Legbars laying beautiful blue eggs!

How come your "screen name" is Duluth Ralphie when you live much closer to Minneapolis than Duluth? DD2 thinks she wants to do a Nature Writing course at the Wilderness Field Station just north of Ely this July/August. If it happens, I was going to hit you up to drive her from the Duluth airport

 

[Blooie]

They are also adorable. I'm so glad you got some Creamettes, which I think is a great way to differentiate between the girls and the boys so no hate mail from here! It was such a shame that you lost the first two little girls.

You hit it on the head when you said "simple". Simple, at least with MHP, works. It does. And yes, you do need to pick through the ideas to see what works. In the very first post on this thread, I explained and showed photos of my system just the way I was using it. A frame, heating pad draped over, and a towel over that. Done and done. Simple, and the chicks loved it. Later on in the thread, when the chicks went outside, I again posted how I did it and used videos to show how well they did with it. Again, simple - just a frame, heating pad and towel, and straw. The chick thrived, even in temps of teens and twenties.

Since those early posts, I too have picked up ideas from others - @Beekissed with the pad on the inside of the frame and the entire assembly put into a pilowcase, @azygous using portals in her chick pen, @aart and her "huddle box". This thread has been remarkable in that a lot of times when folks have tried to go too fancy or too elaborate with their modifications, they always seem to realize that it's just plain better to stick to simple.

 

[Blooie]

So had a second chick die on this system. The first one was probably my bad. The second one went to the back of the cave (on top) where it could hear the other chicks, and got too cold and died. Didn't understand to go around. Do you have the backs of the caves open? Any ideas on preventing this? I've put a beefier light in to keep the brooder warmer to buy the chicks time as they learn.

I am so sorry! I keep my cave totally closed in - back, sides, and partially in the front by forming a sort of awning. I want them to have one way in and one way out. It's a true cave, rather than a tunnel looking setup. I feel so bad that you lost another chick. They don't usually have to learn the system. Sometimes I have to stuff a chick or two under there and hold my hand over the opening until they actually realize that it's warm in there, but not very often. And when I do have to do that, it takes seconds for the other chicks to see what they are doing. Training time over. Gosh, I wish I could change what happened.

 

[bruceha2000]

So had a second chick die on this system. The first one was probably my bad. The second one went to the back of the cave (on top) where it could hear the other chicks, and got too cold and died. Didn't understand to go around. Do you have the backs of the caves open? Any ideas on preventing this? I've put a beefier light in to keep the brooder warmer to buy the chicks time as they learn.

I think many people do have the back open and it sounds like a good idea for this reason. I believe the other stated reason is so they can get out the back if it is crowded and getting to the front might be blocked with fuzzy little bodies.

I can see it happening. Even when they were MANY months old, my stupid younger girls would go along the short piece of 2x4 wire field fence between the barns and get stuck in the "gate" (a section of fence curled back to make an opening). They would make a HUGE fuss. They could see where they wanted to be but their little bird brains couldn't figure out that reversing course would get them out and they could go around. And it wasn't just once per bird!

Really sorry for your loss.

 

[Molpet]

Sunbeam has heating pads on sale if anyone is looking
http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...f-Heating-Pads-Neck-and-Should-Wraps-and-More

 

[Hholly]

So had a second chick die on this system. The first one was probably my bad. The second one went to the back of the cave (on top) where it could hear the other chicks, and got too cold and died. Didn't understand to go around. Do you have the backs of the caves open? Any ideas on preventing this? I've put a beefier light in to keep the brooder warmer to buy the chicks time as they learn.

How cold is the ambient temp where they are? How old are your chicks? Sorry you lost it.

 

[ShanandGem]

Sunbeam has heating pads on sale if anyone is looking
http://www.sunbeam.com/pain-relief/...f-Heating-Pads-Neck-and-Should-Wraps-and-More

Up here in Canada the Walmart house brand (Equate) has no auto-off. I used one to build an incubator. They are way cheaper than the Sunbeams too.

 

[aart]

Quote: Ditto Dat^^^

But I do mine totally opposite of @Blooie , totally open front and back.....
.....rack, pad, thin plywood on top...no towels or bungies or strings...
......and it's placed away from wall in back by 3-4" so they can go in and out in the back.
They do go in and out the back quite frequently.

 

[rcstanley]

How cold is the ambient temp where they are? How old are your chicks? Sorry you lost it.

It's about 4 days old. Brooder was in the 50s. I put a stronger light on them so it's in the 70s now and the chicks are a lot happier.

Husband says apparently we're selecting for chicks that can learn to go around.

 

[Blooie]

Just thought it would be fun to post this video again...no reason aside from the fact that I'm getting chick fever again! See how the frame goes all the way to the back of the brooder box, and how the straw is used to cover the sides as well as the top. It sure didn't always stay that way, but it was no big deal to toss a little bit more up there after they'd scratched it all off. The towel also goes down and under the frame in the back and down around the bottom edges of the sides. And they really seem to like that sensation of having to duck and scoot under the awning in the front.