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

[aart]

@COChix incubating 22 from my coop...Wellie cock over blue laying EE, and over OE daughters from same cross...and one pink from my Lt Brahma just for kicks, easy candling, and curiosity....and have 6 EE day olds on order from local mill to arrive on hatch day(I hope).

 

[MesMama]

@bruceha2000 The hen that attacked the chick hadn't had her chicks hatch yet, so I thought it was odd that she would attack like that? But maybe not? The other hens, broodies and non-broodies couldn't have cared less about the other chicks being around, just that one hen, it was weird. I just made a judgement call I guess

The other hen that was on the floor let those two chicks crawl all over her, even perch on her back, so I thought it was a character flaw (or whatever you call it lol) with that one hen?

eta-that hen was CRAZY to anyone that got near her, humans and other chickens, she would puff up and growl, even took after my daughter when she was collecting eggs. The others just weren't like that??

 

[10AcreChick]

Oh! I meant that I started mine on vertical nipples from out of the shipping box! Whoops! Guess I didn't read that close! It does make a little bit of a mess on the litter, due to drips, so maybe I will use the horizontal nipples on the Bigs waterer, when I make it. LOL, I have done so many waterer and feeder experiments, I think DH is getting tired of discarded five gallon buckets with holes in them that he can't use!

 

[mobius]

@mobius You should put a clay saucer under the heating gizmo so that it isn't in contact with the plastic! I have one setup for my hens.

Perfect, thanks SO much!! Great idea. It will be the 250 watt K&H heater...was wondering about that...

 

[aart]

Quote: Some of those tank heaters/bird bath heaters....a lot of them...are rated for plastic tanks.

 

[Blooie]

so here's my set up. Getting a little nervous about hanging chicks. Lightbulb is for size reference. Heating pad arrives tomorrow, chicks due to hatch in a week. What do you think. Waiting for heating pad to put down all the straw in run. Wood on left is door to portal into big girls area. I set a cinder block on end and that is the size of the chick opening.

I am so sorry...I didn't see this post until it was quoted above and had to go back and find it. I wasn't ignoring it, really!

Setup looks good. Now we need to see it with chicks under it as soon as they arrive! (hint hint)

I have a new adventure waiting for me next week. The eggs I ordered, plus the ones that @LocalYokel gifted to me, will be shipped on Monday from MyPetChicken. That means they won't be here until Thursday. Unfortunately we'll be in Billings all day with my followup appointments with the cardiologist and won't be here to get them right away. Our postmistress, Jan, is really good about keeping "personal service" alive and well in the postal system. So yesterday I told her what I was expecting and she said she'd put them in a lockbox for me so they weren't jostled anymore and I wouldn't have to wait until Friday morning to pick them up. I could get them anytime when we got back.

So I have to fire up the new incubator and I'm going to try hatching. <gulp> I wish I was brave enough to try @Beekissed 's system of incubating with the heating pad too, but alas I'm not ready for that step yet. I guess I'll hold the eggs to give the air cells time to reattach and set them on Sunday. Does that sound about right?

 

[MesMama]

@Blooie Can't wait to see your babies! How nice of your postmistress to go the extra mile for you That takes a load off your mind I'm sure! Incubating and hatching eggs totally intrigues me! My mom bought an incubator and we talked about doing that, but chose to go the other way this time, BUT I will hatch my own one day

I have a feeling that with these chicks coming in a few weeks that I am going to officially have an addiction LOL! Keeping it under control though

 

[MesMama]

Just have to say that I feel so blessed to have found this thread

I love the sense of community and everyone is so helpful, so much great advice and critiques to help you make this process as simple as possible. Simple is good!

Heat lamps scare the poo outta me and so when we decided to add to our flock I knew I didn't want to use one. My mom has brooded several groups of chicks with the traditional setup, heat lamp/brooder, was intrigued when I shared this with her and she's going to try it as well! No more heat lamps....

 

[Blooie]

We do have a remarkable group here, and I'm so proud to be part of it. I just never envisioned it taking off like this, but I've been glad to see so many others who thought there just had to be a better, more natural way to raise chicks. We're all indebted to folks like @Beekissed Patrice Lopatin, @aart and others who watched broodies with their chicks and decided that we DON'T always know what's best for the chicks we raise. Boxes with blazing lights, food and water dishes that are hot, walls, bedding, and floors all being heated just defy plain old every day common sense when compared to a simple hen out there raising her babies to be chickens, not divas! I did the "diva" thing with my first batch of chicks....never again!

So let's keep the tone here light and friendly, and let's remember that we are asking new folks to take a huge leap of faith in trying this. And let's never forget that it just isn't for everyone, and treat those who opt to use other methods with respect and courtesy. We've shown we're all pretty good at that, and I'm grateful.

 

[micheleomal]

Blooie, last year was my first try at hatching. I let them settle for about 8 hrs then set them in egg cartons that have the sides cut down low and holes in the bottom for the best air circulation. Then they go in the incubator. I don't turn them for 4 days. I've read that other people do this with their SHIPPED eggs too. That's what I'm doing again this year but USPS has been particularly brutal with my eggs this year and my first hatch will only have 9 out of 40 eggs going into lockdown
Here's a pic of their condo with MHP. Short term rental only....1 week then out to the coop they go under the XL MHP. Last year there were heat lamps dangling over the condo. There's even a tunnel going from one to the other.