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

[rcstanley]

For what it's worth, I had 7 chicks under the 12x15 pad.

What is the air temperature in people's brooder? Mine would be 40s at night without heat, 50s when I had the loss, currently I'm keeping it in the 70s.

Also I moved the towel so it was more diagonal across the back so there is a gap for chicks to get in again if needed.

 

[Beekissed]

My ambient temps were 38* in the daytime, 20s at night, when using the HP in the outside brooder the first time. Just checked them at night to see if everyone got under the first few days and when I started finding them all under the pad each night, I finally just started trusting they would continue to do so and stopped checking.

I only had a 12x15 pad and had 10 meaty chicks and a DP chick the first time, then another batch of DP birds and a duckling~there were 14 chicks and the duckling under the pad that time.

 

[Paganrose]

Mine are currently in an unheated mud room- it gets to about 65 during the day when the sun shines in, but is closer to low 50's at night.

 

[Beekissed]

Indubitably! You got it, azygous!! But seriously, I don't know why the notion that the number of chicks might dictate whether to have the cave open or closed never clicked with me before. And I know chicks die under heat lamps and commercial plates too. It's just that when I've advocated so enthusiastically a system that has proven time and time again, not just by me but by the people who broke the trail and those who came after, to be simple, effective, good for the chicks, and safer, then it starts going wrong for people, it kinda puts a bit of a guilt trip on me. I still believe in MHP...I will personally never brood any other way again, nor will I ever even turn on a heat lamp again.

No guilt necessary, Miss Blooie. There's nothing wrong with the method at all. With all things, people are going to have varying experiences with it ~ some won't like it, some won't be able to make it work for them, some will have great feedback from it, and some will be using it from now on. Same with fermented feed, deep litter and other out of the box solutions to flock tending.

That's how it's always going to be on the path less traveled. I used to feel bad when folks would get back to me that they couldn't make the fermented feed work for them or that they couldn't figure out how to get deep litter to work either, but I finally stopped taking it to heart because I'd done all I possibly could to make it easy for folks to understand and even posted videos on both things. Can't do much more than that unless I actually went to their homes and did it for them, but I found that this is just the way it goes. No reflection on me at all and I just had to get over that.

Go rest your newly opened arteries and have sweet dreams!

 

[bruceha2000]

Now to make this post relevant to the thread. I went out and looked in on my month olds, (the one of which escaped the other day). They are doing great and one was even standing on the MHP, but it looked more like a game of king on the hill than getting warm.

Probably. At 4 weeks, especially being raised out of the house, are likely very well feathered and capable of maintaining temp with no outside sources.

And thanks for the "travel tip" but I don't think I want my daughter thumbing up to Ely

Isn't it nice that you just got that system over-haul so you have more oxygen to your brain for this heavy thinking, huh Blooie?

Yep, and it should make it easier for her to start compiling her book too.

I currently have 26 chicks under a double heat pad set up that is 12 x 30, I Have the back of mine open. I had a couple that hopped on top, and couldn't figure out how to go around, once I opened up the back they cheerfully play all around it during the day. A lot of them like to nap with their bodies under the MHP, but their faces hanging out side.

Like this?


I know, I cheated with a real hen.

 

[duluthralphie]

Probably. At 4 weeks, especially being raised out of the house, are likely very well feathered and capable of maintaining temp with no outside sources.

And thanks for the "travel tip" but I don't think I want my daughter thumbing up to Ely

Ely itself is not bad, but if she says she went to Winton, fly up and get her fast!!

Yep, and it should make it easier for her to start compiling her book too.

Like this?


I know, I cheated with a real hen.

How any chicks do you have under that hen? She looks like she is trying to flatten herself to cover them all. She would not be much flatter if a 18 wheeler ran over her.

 

[bruceha2000]

Is it particularly dangerous in Winton? Near as I can tell there aren't even 200 people living there.

I gave her 7 chicks, they were 4 days old in that picture. She is doing the one thing the MHP can not do - self adjust. She tented her wings out depending on how many chicks were squirming around under each side. Since no other chicks are visible, the other 6 must be under there somewhere. She REALLY had to tent a week or so later since, as we know, they grow fast. Given she is a BIG hen, I have to wonder what a "regular size" hen must look like with 10 or 12 chicks she hatched herself under her.

Of course, a MHPB doesn't need to tent, it is already tented and has a LOT more space, especially compared to the ZERO under a hen's body, up the middle.

 

[duluthralphie]

After having lost those 2 chicks I remodeled my MHP. I think I have it down now. I have had no accidents (knocking on wood).

I left the wire on the top of the pad attached with 4 inch cable ties. I have the entire pad wrapped in Press-n-seal and taped so it cannot open.

I have a cage I made for the chicks for their first week. It is not big enough for them when they get any size.

The cage is 16 inches by 32 inches. The reason for that size is it fits the shelf I put them on. I knew my DW always wanted chickens in the living room!...

I used hardware cloth when I made the cage, I simply run dowels through the hardware cloth supporting the heating pad>



I have it blocked on the side under the largest dowel. That is there to keep them from trying to squeeze into that crease. I have two small boards blocking that you cannot see.

The dowels under the pad hold it up. The ones on top hold it down. I run that one at a little angle to hold the "flap" down.

Here is the flap, as you can see it is just hanging there even the smallest bird could push through it and not get stuck,




I cover it with disposable adult bed pads. The dowels hold the pads down so they do not slide around.
I am sure some of you will see something "dangerous" but so far it is working. I did have one crawl on top the pad and under the pad on the flap end, But I could not see how he could get hurt there, so I just snapped his picture and watched him.. The nice thing is I can raise and lower it with no problems, I am going to make a larger cage and do the same MHP system in it. Disposable pads are fast and easy to change and clean the pen.

Here are a couple under the pad.




And here is a box of Creamettes, I took the picture during diaper changing time..




I will do anything to show off my babies!!!

 

[COChix]

Hello All, I am so thankful for this thread and the MHP idea.  We have 7 chickens, one year olds, all doing very well.      I have 21 eggs in the incubator, with 2-3 days till hatch !   It's my first time incubating eggs.  We've borrowed a friend's styrofoam style box.    We're at 5,000 ft. so I am a little concerned about oxygen, and humidity, and I am a worrywart !!    Wish us luck !!

We've built a safe corner in the coop for the MHP, and the gear is all cleaned up and ready to go.

I may be crying for help here in the next few days and weeks.   It's a huge relief to know you are here.

Jan
Sageflower Ranch

Hi Jan, greeting from Boulder. Whatcha hatching? I hatched last year and enjoyed myself tremendously. Also check out the Colorado thread as well. Pretty active board....

 

[duluthralphie]

I thought my MHP went nuts and hurt my week old babies last night!

My Wife and I were watching TV, ( a Friday night out for us) catching up on the shows we missed during the week. The way this works is we start watching a show and I fall asleep, she continues to watch, then goes to bed leaving me in my chair.

I woke up from TV watching to the sound of my chicks screaming the distressed chick call! My wife was in the dining room walking, I asked what was wrong with the chicks, as I crawled out of my chair to check on them.

She said T"They are Peed at me ( not really using peed), for turning their light off, they do not think it is bedtime yet"...

As soon as they settled under the MHP they were happy. IT was funny, they were as loud as primates in the zoo when they get excited! I usually use a very dim light before I turn the lights off them completely, I guess she did not know the routine.