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

[beautifulpirate]

Well everyone survived night one, I didn't sleep very well, kept hearing chicks chirping and it was waking me up LOL!  Went to check on them and they were, OF COURSE, quiet and sleeping...yep just like when I brought my babies home LOL

Anwho, they're doing well.  We were only able to get two silver laced and they're for my mom and SO CUTE!  So we're both protective of them <3  And of course!  One of the silver laced had some poop above and below her vent, assumed that was pasty butt so soaker her lil tush in some warm water and cleaned it off, dabbed it with coconut oil.  And then the other one's belly button has a big scab on it, I went to the bathroom to get the Neosporin (non pain relief one) and my daughter was holding her and thought it was poop so started cleaning it off, the belly button   I should've told her to leave it be UGH.  I hope it will be okay???

We were driving to the store the other day, and I was hearing chick chirps from 40 miles away haha.

Hope someone with more experience can chime in with more about the belly button. I know you aren't supposed to mess with them but don't know anymore than that. Hope she is OK.

 

[Blooie]

They are a day old. And now I'm wondering if 6 is too hot even during the day (while they're inside I guess) because some would stay under, others were out peeping, eating a bite here and there. Only a couple times, for short periods were they all under.

So I turned off the lights where they're at, everyone was under mama and quiet so I took advantage of that and put them "to bed", so do you mean if they get too hot or cold even if it's dark they'll come out and be unsettled or do I need to leave the light on for a bit and then turn the HP down and see?

Turn the pad down. They don't need 6 when their ambient temps are warmer. And no lights.

 

[MesMama]

Turn the pad down.  They don't need 6 when their ambient temps are warmer.  And no lights.

Thanks Blooie Roger that on turning it down, peeps recommended that last night too, so I turned it to 4 Also when you say no lights, so leave the over head light off all the time in the dining room where they're at? Just let the natural light be all the light they have? Too much light stimulates them to eat is what I'm gathering? Too much eating can lead to pasty butt? It's quite dark in that area today especially because it's rainy, but if you say that's best I will do it <3 Just wanting to clarify so I understand

 

[MesMama]

We were driving to the store the other day, and I was hearing chick chirps from 40 miles away haha.

Hope someone with more experience can chime in with more about the belly button. I know you aren't supposed to mess with them but don't know anymore than that. Hope she is OK.

Lol! Those chirps get in your head man!!!

 

[Blooie]

I am so sorry that Blooie (who has been so wonderful on this thread) is coping with some serious family concerns right now. Didnt fully nderstand how this forum worked and kept replying directly to her instead of the whole group. With Blooie focused on her family, she asked others to field questions. So I'll post my latest chick concern (although it seems so small by comparison) to the group:

How long before my two week old chicks (6 of tem) understand about sleeping in the warming cave? I tried putting them in the cave rght at sunset, before it was completely dark, but they wouldn't stay (prolly still hoping for more treats). Three nights in a row now, I go down AFTER sunset and they are huddled together anywhere but inside the cave and they look cold (it is 60 degrees or less in that hard to heat room). So, I pick each one up and put them in the cave and they all stay inside after that (72 degrees inside). Why won't they go in on their own? I worry (yeah, I guess I'm a nervous newby) they won't understand about going into the coop at sunset when they go out to the coop yard in a few weeks (I have an automatic door out there). I get that I have to check that they make it inside for the first few outdoor nights, but about how long does it take for them o catch on? Thoughts? Do I just keep doing what I'm doing and hope for the best? They seem fine in the mornings.

Don't ever worry about asking questions. At two weeks old they might need or WANT that much heat. It's very common for them to spend more time on top and around it than they do under it. And it might not make me popular but even as chicks they are creatures of habit......they want to go to bed but they don't understand that they can do it themselves because they're waiting for you to do it...that's their routine now. As you've found, if it's still even a little light when you try, they are going to pop back out because they can. Take a second look at your cave. Is it too low? At two weeks old you can probably raise it a bit now. And chicks huddle. It's more for security than warmth. They can be 6-8 weeks old, no MHP at all, and they'll still huddle at night. That's what they are used to. Rather than worry about what's going to happen weeks from now when they got out to the coop, focus on meeting their heat, food and water needs now. You must be doing that very right or they wouldn't be fine and active all day long. So see? Look at what you're doing right instead of worrying that they aren't doing it the way you think they should. If there is nothing wrong with the cave that you can see, they simply might not need the cave as much.

Sorry I was so short last night. I was trying to figure out which of 50 different sets of incubator instructions on 50 different sites. Two incubators going, multiple temp and humidity monitors on both, none of them reading the same, and I don't know what I'm doing. Most of these eggs were a very special gift from a very special person and I don't want to let him down. Add that to trying to quit smoking and being so angry with "experts" slapping another label on Kendra it was just a rough, rough night. This too shall pass. Just put it in the Lord's hands and keep on doing what we do for her. Okay, rant over!

 

[Blooie]

Thanks Blooie

Roger that on turning it down, peeps recommended that last night too, so I turned it to 4

Also when you say no lights, so leave the over head light off all the time in the dining room where they're at? Just let the natural light be all the light they have? Too much light stimulates them to eat is what I'm gathering? Too much eating can lead to pasty butt? It's quite dark in that area today especially because it's rainy, but if you say that's best I will do it <3 Just wanting to clarify so I understand

Did you see this video of mine when they were still in the house? I'll post it again just in case. By no lights I generally mean them just experiencing natural sunrise/sunset phases. That's what they'll have when they are outside - when the sun goes down they go to bed, when it comes up they wake up.

 

[MesMama]

Did you see this video of mine when they were still in the house? I'll post it again just in case. By no lights I generally mean them just experiencing natural sunrise/sunset phases. That's what they'll have when they are outside - when the sun goes down they go to bed, when it comes up they wake up.

Excellent! Thank you

 

[mobius]

Good morning @Blooie ! (((((Many Hugs))))) Thank you for doing so well what you do for all of us!

 

[Coop de Grass]

@Redufresne and @bluie Is it possible that the MHP should be warmer than 72? The chicks are 2 weeks old, the temp in the room is 60. When I had chicks in the house, the room temp was 70 -for my 90 year old dad - and the Brinsea was much warmer than the room - not sure how much warmer, but the chicks went under at night.

Perhaps they would notice warmer air coming out of the MHP if the temp was set higher?

I have no clue about this, just trying to think it through.

 

[Blooie]

@Redufresne and @bluie Is it possible that the MHP should be warmer than 72? The chicks are 2 weeks old, the temp in the room is 60. When I had chicks in the house, the room temp was 70 -for my 90 year old dad - and the Brinsea was much warmer than the room - not sure how much warmer, but the chicks went under at night.

Perhaps they would notice warmer air coming out of the MHP if the temp was set higher?

I have no clue about this, just trying to think it through.

That's another possibility. Generally speaking MHP system doesn't take much fiddling to use. Try turning it up and putting them under it....good point, @Coop de Grass My brain isn't functioning at full capacity. Should have left the questions to others like I thought I should in the first place.