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

[bruceha2000]

Where in upstate are you? We about three hours north of Albany?

So am I, but on the other side of Lake Champlain

We are having an unseasonably warm day today. Our high will be 83 and I was curious if it that is warm enough to let our 3 day old chicks have a venture outside for a couple hours? I'll be right there with them and will have an enclosure for them.

They can go outside but not for a couple of hours and not if there is wind. A mama hen will have the kids out but close for a quick duck under. Expect them to not be real adventurous since their world will be vastly larger and scary.

 

[ShanandGem]

I tried with my week old chicks (even brought MHP along) but they were terrified and it didn't last long.

 

[aart]

Quote: This is where a huddle box can come in handy too.

Make them a 'huddle box', put it in the brooder after turning off the heat(you might have to 'persuade' them to use it) then move it out to the coop with them.
Cardboard box with a bottom a little bigger than what they need to cuddle next to each other without piling and tall enough for them to stand in.
Cut an opening on one side a couple inches from bottom and big enough for 2-3 of them to go thru at once.
Fill the bottom with some pine shavings an inch or so deep.
This will give them a cozy place to sleep/rest, block any drafts and help hold their body heat in.

 

[micheleomal]

I'm glad I read about 6 probably being too high indoors. The room they are in is only about 58F and I had it on 6. I saw signs of pasty butt in 1 chick. I've got it down to 5 now after cleaning the chick up. I think I'll go down to 4 and see how they act. They stayed under a lot, even at 6. I think more for safety than need for warmth. It was WARM under there. They do get out and run through the tunnel to get to their food and water so I think they are OK. I have them on paper towels over shelf liner, over pine shavings. They were on pine at the feed store but I don't want them eating it. They are about a week old. When can I let them on shavings? Oops, I have 7 eggs going into lockdown today and I won't want those new ones to be on pine yet, right? So much to worry about with feather babies.

 

[beautifulpirate]

I'm glad I read about 6 probably being too high indoors. The room they are in is only about 58F and I had it on 6. I saw signs of pasty butt in 1 chick. I've got it down to 5 now after cleaning the chick up. I think I'll go down to 4 and see how they act. They stayed under a lot, even at 6. I think more for safety than need for warmth. It was WARM under there. They do get out and run through the tunnel to get to their food and water so I think they are OK. I have them on paper towels over shelf liner, over pine shavings. They were on pine at the feed store but I don't want them eating it. They are about a week old. When can I let them on shavings? Oops, I have 7 eggs going into lockdown today and I won't want those new ones to be on pine yet, right? So much to worry about with feather babies.

Same here with having it on 6 indoors for a couple nights. Turned it down to 2 today because it is 83 degrees outside and feels warmer inside due to lack of breeze. Mine are doing great right now, wandering about. But I feel they are too crowded so I am building a second box with a tunnel for them to go back and forth and setting it up tomorrow.

 

[circlehouse]

Our chicks are coming in about a month! Yay! I have all the stuff for the mama heating pad. ( correct sunbeam heating pad.) hubby will start building our coop next weekend. Wondering where is the most cost effective place to buy hard wire? And does the gauge matter?

 

[Mitch Mullenax]

Our chicks are coming in about a month! Yay! I have all the stuff for the mama heating pad. ( correct sunbeam heating pad.) hubby will start building our coop next weekend. Wondering where is the most cost effective place to buy hard wire? And does the gauge matter?

I shopped online and local for 1/4 and 1/2 inch hardware cloth. mypetchicken.com had the best price even after shipping. Gauge matters because of strength. Size of opening because of critter proofing.

 

[pinebarrens]

Our chicks are coming in about a month! Yay! I have all the stuff for the mama heating pad. ( correct sunbeam heating pad.) hubby will start building our coop next weekend. Wondering where is the most cost effective place to buy hard wire? And does the gauge matter?

I thought I did pretty well on Amazon. I bought 3 rolls of 4' x 50', 1/2 inch, 19 gauge mesh, and they were about $60 each, with free shipping. But prices on it seem to fluctuate week by week there. I watched it for a couple months and bought when the price took a dip... looks like it is up to like $80 a roll right now.

The mypetchicken prices are not far off from what I paid, but would have had to pay shipping from there.

The 19 gauge seems heavy enough to me, and honestly anything heavier would probably be too hard for me to work with (small un-handy female type person that I am.)

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Just FYI the bigger the number in the gauge the smaller the wire.

Take that number and divide it into 1.

for instance:

16 guage is 1/16 of an inch or .0625 diameter
17 gauge is 1/17 of an inch or .0588 diameter
19 guage is 1/19 of an inch or .0526 diameter

The difference in diameters seems trivial but it makes a big difference in strength.

For instance a Raccoon or Dog could easily rip up sixteen gauge chicken wire. The saving grace with hardware cloth is the opening size of the grid. Its difficult to get teeth into well stretched hardware cloth. But toenails are a different matter. So when you put it up stretch it tight.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I didn't even knkw MPC had hardware cloth!

I've found these and am thinking of getting the second one but that'll add up I wanna get 3 of them. Surely theres gotta be a better price?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000..._1_2?colid=2PTMX313RM103&coliid=IDG06OBFMZI0S

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000...olid=2PTMX313RM103&coliid=I2I6JO5XUS420Z&vs=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001...olid=2PTMX313RM103&coliid=I27ZDWKXRUVYYT&vs=1