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

[circlehouse]

Big day for the Three Amigos....they are 3 and 4 days old already and they got kicked out of the house and outside into their brooder set up. The last two nights they had put themselves away in the house and everyone is eating and growing.

First I had to block the area from the flock, you can see I had helpers and observers.

Don't mind the make shift roof. It's not pretty but should keep them dry

Little One - the friendly EE kept going into the kennel when I was setting up their cave, guess she wanted to give it her approval.

At dusk they stood in the middle of the brooder huddled together chirping. I put them under the cave and they stayed. Last check of brooder temp is was 88. Will check again before bed, but it does feel good to get them outside. They also have started on fermented feed today and had a plug of sod in their brooder.

My chicks will be going into a set up that is quite similar to yours and jensownzoo and looks like you both have straw. I that better at insulating? I was planning on using pine shavings because I am trying to start a deep litter. Thoughts?

 

[COChix]

Chick check at 7am found them huddled together in their brooder this am. They survived their first night outside in the run with the flock. Temp this am on HPB was 85, I would say that is about perfect. Seems like they slept through the night. Checked on them around 11 and all was quiet, the heat pad stayed on and it was 82 in the brooder.

 

[COChix]

My chicks will be going into a set up that is quite similar to yours and jensownzoo and looks like you both have straw. I that better at insulating? I was planning on using pine shavings because I am trying to start a deep litter. Thoughts?

I only use straw, just a preference. Pine shavings get into everything, straw is a little better that way. I think straw is more insulating than shaving cause you can cram it into the corners of the cave to assure its all toasty and warm.

Here are a few shots of the cave in progress...or not can't upload right now.

 

[COChix]

The shelf I am using, since the spacing between the slates is narrow I didn't wrap in wire. Didn't have any issues last year with anyone getting stuck.

Building the cave, first straw down, then the shelf, then I hollowed out underneath the shelf in the straw. Then the heat pad, then a blanket over and I let my heat pad hang down on the sides then I piled straw around the sides and on top.

 

[COChix]

My chicks will be going into a set up that is quite similar to yours and jensownzoo and looks like you both have straw. I that better at insulating? I was planning on using pine shavings because I am trying to start a deep litter. Thoughts?

You can also do deep litter with straw. Just cleaned out about 2 feet of straw from the coop, in fact that was what went I the brooder along with fresh straw. There was still about 1-2 feet of straw left in the coop.

 

[Jensownzoo]

My chicks will be going into a set up that is quite similar to yours and jensownzoo and looks like you both have straw. I that better at insulating? I was planning on using pine shavings because I am trying to start a deep litter. Thoughts?

I am using straw because they are in a 10 x 10 dog kennel right now and like was said, straw stays put better. When they're in a walled coop (if I ever get the chance to finish it), they'll be on shavings because containment won't be an issue and it will be easier for the chickens to churn for me.

 

[COChix]

I am using straw because they are in a 10 x 10 dog kennel right now and like was said, straw stays put better. When they're in a walled coop (if I ever get the chance to finish it), they'll be on shavings because containment won't be an issue and it will be easier for the chickens to churn for me.

A good point on shavings, they just kick them off the heat pad cave if you try shaving, thus straw was my first choice as well.

 

[bruceha2000]

....

aart is right, you can over do treats and it is good to try to keep treats at 10%.
....

I wouldn't give much in the way of "chick crack" at all to little ones. It is "candy" not "fruits and veggies". Not the best to grow on.

My chicks will be going into a set up that is quite similar to yours and jensownzoo and looks like you both have straw. I that better at insulating? I was planning on using pine shavings because I am trying to start a deep litter. Thoughts?

Just an FYI. A deep layer of pine shavings or straw is NOT true deep litter but "deep bedding". Deep litter is a compost pile of all sorts of plant matter. There is at least one thread here on BYC. I haven't gone that far, I have deep bedding of pine shavings.

 

[circlehouse]

I wouldn't give much in the way of "chick crack" at all to little ones. It is "candy" not "fruits and veggies". Not the best to grow on. 


Just an FYI. A deep layer of pine shavings or straw is NOT true deep litter but "deep bedding". Deep litter is a compost pile of all sorts of plant matter. There is at least one thread here on BYC. I haven't gone that far, I have deep bedding of pine shavings.

I was planning on adding other ant matter as they age, is there a benefit of just keeping it to a deep bedding? Does that generate heat as well?

 

[Beekissed]

Not really but it can help absorb moisture in the coop environment, depending on the bedding used. You might explore deep litter if wanting heat generating and also more healthy habitat in the coop and run...this thread is a little shorter than the bigger thread on DL and might get you there faster: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/643302/results-from-first-year-with-deep-litter-method