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

[lazy gardener]

Well see, you HAVE to hatch because you are doing experiments to benefit the chicken owning community. If your gender results based on egg shape proportions continue to come out like they did the last time, you'll have something of great value to contribute. Can't do that without lots of trials.


Mine was about 2' x 6' in the corner of the 10' x 12' coop. Given I had only 7 chicks, it was far bigger than necessary but I had no idea how long Zorra would keep them in there at night (2 weeks), how long she would mother them (2 months) or if they were going to need to use it as they got bigger (nope).

Your 18 sq ft should be fine. The chicks will be ready for the full coop and no MHP by the time they are 4 weeks old, if not sooner. Hopefully they will be integrated with the rest of the flock by then.

My last 3 trials were all 60%. Non selected were always 40%.

We got six chicks. Should I expect them to outgrow this before it is time for them to move to the coop? First time chicken mama here so sorry if this seems silly. Measurements are 32 x 19 x 14h. We have more totes that we can use if necessary.

How soon will you be putting them into the coop. Sooner is better. And the more space you can give them, the better.

I thought about that. Kind of hard to see the chicks if they are all sleeping in the cave when people come to buy. But the cave is easy to pick up so the chicks can be seen and collected. Ever buy tropical fish? Especially black loaches? Those suckers hide IN the gravel bed and are faster than lightning but somehow the people at the store can manage to catch them with some effort. Chicks in a MHPB equipped enclosure would be cake by comparison.

Loaches are a horror to catch, unless you know how to think like a fish. The last few times I bought them, I insisted on catching my own: set the net on the floor in the corner, with some gravel in it, stuff a few plants in it. chase the fish into the net with a second net.

Anyone ever considered using the MHP in an incubator? I've only just started my flock but already I'm fascinated with incubating and hatching. I don't want to spend a ton of money on an incubator since we just dropped $500 on a new DH-built A-frame coop.

Ashley, do you mean using a HP for an incubator? That's been done by Beekissed. She used a HP over a nest that she constructed with a cardboard box, soil, and some hay with the HP over. But, for around $20, you can build a very reliable incubator, using mostly stuff that you would have kicking around or that you can pick up at yard sales. The only real cost will be your thermostat, which can be purchased as cheaply as $8, depending on what kind you use. If you could wire a lamp with instructions, you can build a bator.

 

[Blooie]

I don't let the Littles into the run with the Bigs until they are at least 3 weeks old, and even then I watch them carefully. I stole an idea from someone here on BYC and I run a line of scratch right where the brooder pen edge is. The Littles are on their side munching happily and the Bigs are on their side eating it too. I found out real quick that them learning to eat head to head with the safety of the wire pen between them helped a lot too. I'd wait awhile before I tried it again, I think.

 

[member 373180]

Ah, ok, thank you. Somehow I got the impression that the portals were opened earlier. I will wait and start giving them scratch along the mesh every day.
The littles are growing like weeds so it won't be long before they're not so stompable.

 

[COChix]

I agree with Blooie, seems early for integration. However, I know others do it early. We didn't integrate our chicks with their parent flock until 4 weeks. They had visuals on each other from day 7 of the littles life. We had no issues when we integrated, did while the bigs were out free ranging when we let the littles out.

 

[azygous]

I agree with the three-week age before letting chicks mingle with adults. Before that age, they simply do not have the experience and knowledge of how dangerous adult chickens can be. This is a very good argument for exposing chicks to adult chickens by way of a safe pen so they can observe the adult flock in safety and learn how the social order works before they actually get in with them.

I got rid of my TV years ago, so I spend a lot of time watching my flock. This is how I've learned about chick development. It's way more fun that what's on TV, and so much cheaper.

 

[Jensownzoo]

I don't let the Littles into the run with the Bigs until they are at least 3 weeks old, and even then I watch them carefully.  I stole an idea from someone here on BYC and I run a line of scratch right where the brooder pen edge is.  The Littles are on their side munching happily and the Bigs are on their side eating it too.  I found out real quick that them learning to eat head to head with the safety of the wire pen between them helped a lot too.  I'd wait awhile before I tried it again, I think.

That's similar to the recommendation for integrating cats into a new household...you feed them on different sides of a door so they can smell each other while eating delicious food. They learn positive associations with the smell and it smoothes things out when they finally are allowed a face-to-face meeting.

 

[10AcreChick]

I keep telling people how quickly those chicks grow!



Why is the cockerel not in with the others? 

The cockerel had pasty butt, and as a result his vent kind of sticks out a bit; I also had to cut some of his down back. They were pecking on him pretty severely. He's one of only two roosters, so I really don't want to lose him. I want to breed my BR roos to the Buffs.

 

[duluthralphie]

Here's an inside view under MHP. The strange object in the pic is a rock to keep the top from collapsing if they get too rambunctious on top. Could also work as a heat sink. Yes, an over protective chick mom.

I like the rock idea. I use a small block of wood for same reason, very small block, I like the rock better.

 

[ashleymroles]

Ashley, do you mean using a HP for an incubator?  That's been done by Beekissed.  She used a HP over a nest that she constructed with a cardboard box, soil, and some hay with the HP over.  But, for around $20, you can build a very reliable incubator, using mostly stuff that you would have kicking around or that you can pick up at yard sales.  The only real cost will be your thermostat, which can be purchased as cheaply as $8, depending on what kind you use.  If you could wire a lamp with instructions, you can build a bator.

check out member Beekissed, she did a whole thread about this subject, she hatched using a heating pad.

Thanks to both of you. I've read about 60 pages of bee's HP incubation thread and she's just lost all but one chick. I'm assuming she tries again with success, but no spoilers please!

I'm still trying to convince DH to let me try incubation in an attempt to hatch a roo that I can raise to love the family and the girls. In my rural area of upstate NY, the aerial predators are the ones to be concerned about. My 7 dogs tend to take care of the ground predators. I'm thinking I'll incubate 4 eggs, cull or find a home for any extra cockerels, and keep the extra layers. I can raise them inside until they're ready and the older girls can teach them how to behave.
An off topic question: Any suggestions on breeds with particularly docile roosters?

Anyway, I think I'm just going to use a plastic tote we have with the HP from the MHP when the girls are done with it. That means I have 2-3 more weeks to convince DH. I've heard of people wrapping the eggs in wet paper towels with the heating pad wrapped around that. Thoughts?
I can line the entire tote with space blanket I have lying around to keep the heat uniform. I also have an indoor grow tent for plants in the winter that I can use. It's 4'x4'x8' high, but I already have fans that fit into openings in the sides and a carbon filter to keep the air clean.
I was also considering just using the brooder with the MHP as is (with maybe 3-5 lbs of weight on top to keep the pad in contact with the eggs). Not sure how I'd control the humidity in it though since it's 3'x5'x3' high and only covered by a screen from one of our windows that just happened to be the perfect size.
In those cases, do I really need a thermostat? I feel like a thermometer and constantly checking the temp will be sufficient to keep the temperature at the perfect 99.5°
I'll definitely have more specific design ideas after I finish bee's thread on the subject.

Also, if this is considered hijacking the thread, let me know and I'll post elsewhere.
Consider these pics of the girls at 18 days on their first outdoor adventure as payment

 

[micheleomal]

Love the little faces. Great pics!