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

[MesMama]

I have been seriously thinking about a baby monitor so I could at least hear distress peeps or know if a predator was around!

Yes!! Or if they're trying to commit chick-icide

 

[junebuggena]

I was waking around with my bigs yesterday feeling like the Pied Piper because I had meal worms in my coat pocket hehe, just enjoying my chickens and realizing that I am more that a little anxious about letting the littles out with the bigs Most of my concern comes from the fact that the fencing is just regular livestock wire fencing, with the square holes more than enough room for little chickies to escape. Our pasture is 1 acre so it's more than enough room for them, my bigs graze all over the entire acre...so I just stood there yesterday wondering, will the littles be "allowed" to be with the bigs? Last year when I had those two broody hatched chicks, at some point-maybe 4 weeks? the chicks kind of did their own thing, just the two of them. So I'm not sure whether that was because one was a roo and he was taking his lady and making his own flock or whether the bigs isolated them?
Anyway, so much unknown here, sorry for rambling and being off topic...again lol! I'm just envisioning letting the littles out and them scattering around the whole acre, some escaping, us chasing them all over...just utter chaos lol! *sigh*

That's just normal chicken behavior. Chicks will naturally keep their distance from older birds that are high in the pecking order. They learn who they can be near and who they need to stay away from. As time passes, and they begin to mature, they will start to join the grown ups more.

 

[bruceha2000]

I was waking around with my bigs yesterday feeling like the Pied Piper because I had meal worms in my coat pocket hehe, just enjoying my chickens and realizing that I am more that a little anxious about letting the littles out with the bigs Most of my concern comes from the fact that the fencing is just regular livestock wire fencing, with the square holes more than enough room for little chickies to escape. Our pasture is 1 acre so it's more than enough room for them, my bigs graze all over the entire acre...so I just stood there yesterday wondering, will the littles be "allowed" to be with the bigs? Last year when I had those two broody hatched chicks, at some point-maybe 4 weeks? the chicks kind of did their own thing, just the two of them. So I'm not sure whether that was because one was a roo and he was taking his lady and making his own flock or whether the bigs isolated them?
Anyway, so much unknown here, sorry for rambling and being off topic...again lol! I'm just envisioning letting the littles out and them scattering around the whole acre, some escaping, us chasing them all over...just utter chaos lol! *sigh*

More than likely they won't go too far when they are young. My 2012 chicks eventually spread out to within about 100' of any building. But at first they stuck close to them. The buildings are the house, directly behind that (west) is a small barn and about 15' north of that is the big barn where the coop is. I made a small run on the west side of the big barn, about 18' square, and replaced a missing window pane in the barn with a hinged plywood "door". Put ramps inside and out and that was their outside run. When we were out we would open the "gate" and let them come out into the field. They stayed close for quite some time, slowly expanding the distance from the barn.

I don't think you have to worry too much about the chicks escaping right off unless maybe the fence is really close to where they come out of the barn. And if they do go through the fence, they can come back through, right?

That's just normal chicken behavior. Chicks will naturally keep their distance from older birds that are high in the pecking order. They learn who they can be near and who they need to stay away from. As time passes, and they begin to mature, they will start to join the grown ups more.

And those higher in the pecking order will still peck them when they are adults. My Anconas have always been top and have always felt the need to remind the other nearly 4 year old girls. And now they feel the need to remind the young adults as well.

 

[MesMama]

More than likely they won't go too far when they are young. My 2012 chicks eventually spread out to within about 100' of any building. But at first they stuck close to them. The buildings are the house, directly behind that (west) is a small barn and about 15' north of that is the big barn where the coop is. I made a small run on the west side of the big barn, about 18' square, and replaced a missing window pane in the barn with a hinged plywood "door". Put ramps inside and out and that was their outside run. When we were out we would open the "gate" and let them come out into the field. They stayed close for quite some time, slowly expanding the distance from the barn.

I don't think you have to worry too much about the chicks escaping right off unless maybe the fence is really close to where they come out of the barn. And if they do go through the fence, they can come back through, right? 


And those higher in the pecking order will still peck them when they are adults. My Anconas have always been top and have always felt the need to remind the other nearly 4 year old girls. And now they feel the need to remind the young adults as well. 

The fence is fairly close to the coop on one side, but yeah they can get back in easily guess I didn't think about that

 

[duluthralphie]

First, the pen is not as dirty as it looks. I changed the pad yesterday, but they spread feed everywhere so fast, then mix in a little poop and it looks ,,well. like the picture shows it..

This is a little BA that wanted to sit on the top of the MHP last night but was just too tired to keep awake or hold her head up. It was so funny, she did the head jerk a person does when sitting and nodding off, ending up like this.

The picture quality is bad because I did not want to wake them with the flash.

 

[mobius]

omg too cute, she looks like the snoopy vulture!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I was waking around with my bigs yesterday feeling like the Pied Piper because I had meal worms in my coat pocket hehe, just enjoying my chickens and realizing that I am more that a little anxious about letting the littles out with the bigs Most of my concern comes from the fact that the fencing is just regular livestock wire fencing, with the square holes more than enough room for little chickies to escape. Our pasture is 1 acre so it's more than enough room for them, my bigs graze all over the entire acre...so I just stood there yesterday wondering, will the littles be "allowed" to be with the bigs? Last year when I had those two broody hatched chicks, at some point-maybe 4 weeks? the chicks kind of did their own thing, just the two of them. So I'm not sure whether that was because one was a roo and he was taking his lady and making his own flock or whether the bigs isolated them?
Anyway, so much unknown here, sorry for rambling and being off topic...again lol! I'm just envisioning letting the littles out and them scattering around the whole acre, some escaping, us chasing them all over...just utter chaos lol! *sigh*

They'll probably be too scared to escape and bythe time they get the nerve to venture too far will likely be too big. But you could always maybe get chicken wire or something to put over the holes? Usually chicken wire is useless but it could a good and cheap way to keep them contained.

More than likely they won't go too far when they are young. My 2012 chicks eventually spread out to within about 100' of any building. But at first they stuck close to them. The buildings are the house, directly behind that (west) is a small barn and about 15' north of that is the big barn where the coop is. I made a small run on the west side of the big barn, about 18' square, and replaced a missing window pane in the barn with a hinged plywood "door". Put ramps inside and out and that was their outside run. When we were out we would open the "gate" and let them come out into the field. They stayed close for quite some time, slowly expanding the distance from the barn.

I don't think you have to worry too much about the chicks escaping right off unless maybe the fence is really close to where they come out of the barn. And if they do go through the fence, they can come back through, right? 


I guess this is different cause it's a fence and there are holes everywhere for them to back in but with mine once they escaped the brooder they couldn't get back in, even when I took the walls down and it was a small hop. Even put bricks down. They eventually did after a brave one hopped up lol they get scare . Even to this day some of my adults will pace the run fence when free ranging and others go back in because they too want to go back in but they can't figure out where the door is haha and it's a big door on one end of the run but they just see them through the chainlink holes and want in. Usually they eventually figure it out but the other day I had to go retrieve one. Some chickens are bright and some of mine definitely are and I've got a few who love listening to me talk but others definitely aren't that bright lol although clearly they're all pretty bright to have survived the hawk attack yesterday

And those higher in the pecking order will still peck them when they are adults. My Anconas have always been top and have always felt the need to remind the other nearly 4 year old girls. And now they feel the need to remind the young adults as well. 

That's just normal chicken behavior. Chicks will naturally keep their distance from older birds that are high in the pecking order. They learn who they can be near and who they need to stay away from.  As time passes, and they begin to mature, they will start to join the grown ups more.

 

[MesMama]

First, the pen is not as dirty as it looks. I changed the pad yesterday, but they spread feed everywhere so fast, then mix in a little poop and it looks ,,well. like the picture shows it.. This is a little BA that wanted to sit on the top of the MHP last night but was just too tired to keep awake or hold her head up. It was so funny, she did the head jerk a person does when sitting and nodding off, ending up like this. The picture quality is bad because I did not want to wake them with the flash.

Bwahahahaha!!!!! That is too funny!

 

[jaslyman]

Hi folks - exciting day today - 15 baby chicks arrived in the mail! There were actually 16, but one little girl didn't make it, sadly. Our first time with chicks so we are fretting a bit, wondering if they are warm enough. Hopefully the MHP is doing the job, though they keep coming out and chirping loudly (just a few at a time- most are huddled under there). Would anyone be willing to look at the pics and a) tell us what you think we have, and b) check out the MHP set up to see if it looks ok? We plan to move them into a bigger brooder (3'x6') in a few days as they get bigger.

According to McMurray's we are expecting to have: "Cochins, Campines, Red Caps, the exotic Polish varieties, and many many more in pullets only."

Ok.. the pics are taking forever to upload, so I'll start with a quick question - does loud chirping always mean unhappy chick that needs something they are not getting? And how long does it take them to "learn" to go under MHP? Most of them are regularly hanging out there now, which is good, but a few keep coming out then making a lot of noise... do i just need to continue to gently encourage them back in?

 

[duluthralphie]

omg too cute, she looks like the snoopy vulture!!

Thanks!!
I was trying to remember a snoopy vulture and could not... Senior moments happen a lot more than they use too.