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

[mobius]

dragontheheart, you can always look on craigslist or post a wanted ad there...people might be happy to sell their brooder chicken equipment...I would add that it is important to have a reliable thermometer to measure the heat source...or check ebay for used chick equipment. I would be fussy about checking the heat source tho, you don't want anything shorting out...and disinfect everything you get VERY carefully...before adding chickens.

 

[jrjoplin]

@Blooie (or anyone else who has any ideas) I'm having an issue with support in my MHP. I'm using the XL sunbeam heating pad and can't keep the middle from caving in with even the smallest weight. It may be an issue of wire gauge as I'm using some spare welded wire fencing and in your original pictures your frame looks to be a little heavier. I'm debating switching to one of the box like designs but wondering if this was something that had been encountered before.

 

[Blooie]

The wire fencing that forms my frame is probably stronger than what you have because all of my chicks, even when they were older, could wrestle around up there on it and I had no issues. I think early on someone made a frame from just hardware cloth and that wasn't very successful because it was too flexible, the same thing that it sounds like you are experiencing.

Back a page (or maybe two by now) you will find @aart posted a shot of her revised frame. She uses an oven cooling rack, so rather than having a cave she has more like an EcoGlow. You could try something like that if you don't have access to any stiffer fencing. I know @aart is very happy with her setup. Me, I like my wire welded frame because I prefer the arch - the cave.

@mobius one of the beautiful things about this system is that there really is no need to rely on any kind of thermometer. Early on in the thread @azygous asked me what the temps were running under there. I had no idea, but curiosity got me and I put a wireless one under it just to see. By then the chicks had already been enjoying it for days. The room was 69 degrees. Under the cave it was 82.5 and they were just fine! They regulate their own heat with this system, so fussing over a degree or two just isn't necessary. The heat isn't spread out over the entire brooder, it's just at the chicks' backs, right where they need it.

 

[jrjoplin]

My search for materials is turning up more wood than wire (unless I demolish tomato cages but then I'd need to make a place for me to sleep with the chicks) so I think I'll steer in that direction. I'm off to brainstorm, I'll be sure to post pictures of what I end up with.

 

[ShrekDawg]

You think if I ever get more chicks I could make some sort of plywood brooder? Or maybe if I build my new run I could put the brooder on one end of it? Or would it need to be in the coop? For now though I'm happy with my 8

But eventually I'll add some more breeds I originally wanted. Not a matter of if, a matter of when

Also, do you think it's possible to use wood from the roof for the new coop? They just redid it and dad says it's fine but I'm worried it will be wet or moldy. He says he didn't see any mold but that we could put the mold on the outside if there was. I'm not convinced.

But sorry, will make my own thread too

 

[mobius]

@mobius one of the beautiful things about this system is that there really is no need to rely on any kind of thermometer. Early on in the thread @azygous asked me what the temps were running under there. I had no idea, but curiosity got me and I put a wireless one under it just to see. By then the chicks had already been enjoying it for days. The room was 69 degrees. Under the cave it was 82.5 and they were just fine! They regulate their own heat with this system, so fussing over a degree or two just isn't necessary. The heat isn't spread out over the entire brooder, it's just at the chicks' backs, right where they need it.

Oh Blooie, lol I am just one who is super curious (not unlike a chicken), and tend to overthink (I am not ONLY one on here, hahaha) so I like to KNOW, altho I must say I am used to the heating lamp, ergo thermometer....so then of course I wanted to know what the heating pad heat was!

You are quite right, I must STRIVE to remember that the chicks now regulate themselves! Oops, I hear a loud peeping noise, must run to check!! (truth

). Temp at 83 and holding!

Overthinkers, UNITE!!

 

[Blooie]

Edited to add: Truth be told I didn't use a thermometer when I had my first batch of chicks under a heat lamp, either! <Collective gasp> I know, sacrilege, right? I just learned very quickly to watch the chicks and let them tell me what they needed.

Hope the loud cheep was nothing serious.

 

[perchie.girl]

@Blooie (or anyone else who has any ideas) I'm having an issue with support in my MHP. I'm using the XL sunbeam heating pad and can't keep the middle from caving in with even the smallest weight. It may be an issue of wire gauge as I'm using some spare welded wire fencing and in your original pictures your frame looks to be a little heavier. I'm debating switching to one of the box like designs but wondering if this was something that had been encountered before.

Run a skewer through the wire.like a dowel that will stiffen it up. Just weve it through the wire.

deb

 

[10AcreChick]

The wire fencing that forms my frame is probably stronger than what you have because all of my chicks, even when they were older, could wrestle around up there on it and I had no issues. I think early on someone made a frame from just hardware cloth and that wasn't very successful because it was too flexible, the same thing that it sounds like you are experiencing.

Back a page (or maybe two by now) you will find @aart posted a shot of her revised frame. She uses an oven cooling rack, so rather than having a cave she has more like an EcoGlow. You could try something like that if you don't have access to any stiffer fencing. I know @aart is very happy with her setup. Me, I like my wire welded frame because I prefer the arch - the cave.

@mobius one of the beautiful things about this system is that there really is no need to rely on any kind of thermometer. Early on in the thread @azygous asked me what the temps were running under there. I had no idea, but curiosity got me and I put a wireless one under it just to see. By then the chicks had already been enjoying it for days. The room was 69 degrees. Under the cave it was 82.5 and they were just fine! They regulate their own heat with this system, so fussing over a degree or two just isn't necessary. The heat isn't spread out over the entire brooder, it's just at the chicks' backs, right where they need it.

I made one out of just hardware cloth (1/2"). To make it stiff on top and not bend, I ran some sticks of wood (less then 1/2" thick all the way around and as long as you want your cave to be) underneath the hardware cloth but over the heating pad from one short side to the other. Just stick it through the hardware cloth and let a couple inches stick out on both sides. One stick towards whatever you call the "front" and one at the "back". I did this AFTER I had bent the sides down to make it as high or low as I wanted it, then stuck the stick in just UNDER the top flat section.

Hope this helps!

 

[10AcreChick]

Run a skewer through the wire.like a dowel that will stiffen it up. Just weve it through the wire.

deb

I got Blooied by perchie girl!!!!