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

[Beekissed]

I also dump my kitchen scraps in that area....off to the left or right of the actual roosts and the "drop zone"....the chickens eat what they want, while the rest gets buried there, much like in a compost bin. You wouldn't believe what is buried in that small area....all my canning scraps, tons of garden refuse, weeds and grasses removed from the gardens, all the corn shucks, and such....you name it...that little space under my roosts has eaten it like it never was and gives back rich, fine compost in return.

 

[Beekissed]

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I was planning on putting the two on one side of the coop and the shorter one on the opposite side. The short one was going to be higher up. But do you think that could cause bickering over the highest roost? We are getting our 8 chicks this week! So I know they won't use those roosts for a while, just planning.

I have my shortest roost up higher as well. There is always bickering about the highest roosts and that will never change, but I was mightily surprised this year to see a few of my 4 mo. old birds on the highest roost this summer. That's what I call bold and I noticed those were the same pullets that laid first, are top birds in the flock even yet and are my first picks for carrying over until next year.

 

[eagrbeavr]

I dont have the poop board. I just let it fall to the ground and either cover it or toss it around, mixing the bedding. I'm all about doing things easy. As is is, that coop is already cleaner than my house. Speaking of which....

 

[Melschen]

So when do I take away MHP? Chicks are about 4 weeks old and lows are 58-62 at night. Some still go under at night, but a bunch just huddle up on the floor in front of it.

 

[Beekissed]

You might try giving them a low roost now and start training them on it....a foot high should just about do it. Just go out after dark and place them on it....you'll have to do that several nights in a row until they get used to it, but that's the next evolution to keeping warm, huddling together on a roost. My broody raised chicks are normally roosting with their mama by then.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How will those two 4’ and one 3’ be arranged? The idea of space for chickens whether in the coop, run, nests, brooder, or on the roosts is more about quality than some hard number. Chickens can be pretty brutal on the roosts. Usually after the pecking order is established it’s not too bad but especially when you are integrating chicks or chickens some can be real brutes. If yours are all the same age and the pecking order is established, then that should be plenty of roost space for eight birds without worrying too much on how it is laid out.

If you have different aged birds or will be integrating, then the important thing is that the weaker have enough room to roost away from the stronger, not forced to be within pecking distance. Otherwise the weaker may look for a safer place to roost, which might be your nests or even outside the coop.

I put a juvenile roost a foot lower than my main roosts and separated horizontally about three feet to give my juveniles a safe place to roost where the adults won’t bother them.

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I was planning on putting the two on one side of the coop and the shorter one on the opposite side. The short one was going to be higher up. But do you think that could cause bickering over the highest roost? We are getting our 8 chicks this week! So I know they won't use those roosts for a while, just planning.

I’ve had a broody hen take her chicks to the roosts at two weeks but four weeks seems to be more normal for a broody.

My brooder raised chicks normally start to roost at about 10 to 12 weeks if they are on their own and not with the adults. I’ve had some start on their own at five weeks but 10 to 12 is more normal. Of course some can take longer.

If the brooder raised chicks are in the main coop with the adults it can take a whole lot longer for them to start to roost, especially up on the main roosts. That’s why I put in the juvenile roost, to give them a safe place to go that is not my nests. My last batch of five pullets were still using that juvenile roost at over five months. They recently started to lay and have mostly moved to the adult roosts, but they sleep at the far end away from the adults. Eventually they will mix in better.

I’m opposite to Bee. My highest roosts are two tree branches each eight feet long at five feet height. My juvenile roost is a 2x4 on edge about four feet height and maybe six feet long. Mine still squabble some when they go to bed. The more dominant ones sleep where they want to sleep. If they have to walk through a lower ranked hen to get to that spot, they walk through them, even when I only have a few hens in there.

I don’t put my chicks up on the roosts to train them. I figure when they are ready to roost they will put themselves up there. Make them take some responsibility for themselves. Or maybe I’m just lazy.

There are all kinds of different ways to do all this stuff. Most of them work quite well.

 

[eagrbeavr]

I also dump my kitchen scraps in that area....off to the left or right of the actual roosts and the "drop zone"....the chickens eat what they want, while the rest gets buried there, much like in a compost bin. You wouldn't believe what is buried in that small area....all my canning scraps, tons of garden refuse, weeds and grasses removed from the gardens, all the corn shucks, and such....you name it...that little space under my roosts has eaten it like it never was and gives back rich, fine compost in return.

I wish I didnt have a cement floor in my coop. I'd love to have a full blown deep litter in there. Best I can do is deep bedding. I saved a ton of grass clippings last year and it worked great. They had their own personal lawn all winter. Soon I'll be tossing it all in the run to use this Fall in the garden when I put it to bed. Then I top it with lots of leaves.

 

[Blooie]

Okay, gonna be the bad guy here. Now, you all know that I have no problem with getting distracted on a thread - I'm probably the worst offender at times. I'm a firm believer that the BYC community is in many cases a lot like a bunch of friends sitting around the table talking over a cup of coffee - how dull that afternoon would be if a topic was brought up and that was the only thing allowed to be discussed! So off-thread stuff is fun to read, and we all might learn something new. But I have had to scroll back through quite a bit of stuff to get to Q&As about MHP. As much as everyone wants to help with all things chicks and chickens, there are threads for deep litter, roosts, alternate substrates, DE, illnesses and so on and those threads go into those things far better and deeper than I can here. I simply don't know a lot of this stuff - I just tell folks what I do and what works for me.

I feel like lately I've been having to defend MHP more than is really necessary. If someone comes here out of curiosity or because another person suggested they look into it, great! If they get here, look over the system, and decide it's not for them, that's great too. They are still welcome to hang around, show off their setups and chicks, and share a few laughs. Nobody claims that this is the only way to raise chicks, and nobody is going to make anyone do anything they aren't comfortable with. If they decide to take the plunge, there are plenty of us here who have been very successful with it and love to help get it started and share the excitement of the chicks learning to use it. It's scary at first. We get that. We want to take the scary out of it.

To have PMs flying back and forth discounting what so many of us have come to like and trust is not necessary, nor is dispensing any other advice because the sender took objection to something said. That is not what the spirit of this thread has been from the very beginning and what we want it to continue being. If you don't want to use MHP, fine - then don't! None of us mind a bit. We admit that it isn't for everyone! But don't try to plant the seeds of doubt in someone who came here just to learn and gets excited about the possibilities. I just got another one accusing me of trying to kill peoples' chicks with my "ignorance of proper chick care". That went straight where it belongs - in the trash - and that's exactly where any other PMs like that will go. So if you sent that and didn't get an answer, now you know why.

This is a simple system. You bend something into a frame. You put a heating pad either on top of it or on the underside, secured with small bungee cords. You can then either cover the entire thing with an old threadbare towel (if the pad is on top) or tuck the entire assembly into a pillowcase (if you opted to put the pad on the underside) to keep chicks from getting hung up in the wire frame. Turn the pad on, add chicks, and adjust as necessary, either smooshing the frame down to be closer to the chicks' backs or turning the heat up a notch. If you start chicks outdoors with it you add some straw or shavings underneath and on top of it. It simply doesn't have to be more complicated than that. Yes, some chicks have a little trouble using it to start with. So you tuck them in, hold your hand in front until they understand where the warmth is and they do the rest. No lights. No fancy stuff. No complications. Some chicks spend more time under, some more time on top. That's totally natural too. When there's an occasional problem, we are all ready to help as much as we can. But most chicks take to it almost immediately. Then you and your chicks are golden. And we have all the patience in the world to help everyone get comfortable and confident. I"d rather answer the same question a hundred times than have anyone afraid to ask it!!!

I don't want to make anyone mad or uncomfortable - I'm generally the most easy going person, I have no trouble laughing at myself, and I'm pretty gregarious. Not much riles me. I love to see the photos, read the successes and help with the difficulties. When we have one of those "mystery" chicks that present a problem not seen before, it's fun and a learning experience to get our heads together and sleuth it out. Often I can't get on here and when I finally do I find that the "regulars" have done a superb job welcoming people, answering questions, and sharing photos and experiences! Oh,and by the way, once you've been here once you're considered a "regular". And it makes me smile when a new face pops in, plops down and makes him/herself right at home! This is a great, easy going, and informative thread, and you all have made it that way. There are too many people to thank for the good sense and humor in this thread, but every one of you know who you are! And for those new to the Broody Brigade, we are so glad to have you!!

 

[circlehouse]

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has been so helpful to a new soon to be chick mama. I really appreciate it. And I am sorry for the part I played in hijacking the thread! Back to MHP... I want to be as simple as possible with my frame, can I just double up he 1/2 inch hardware cloth I have instead of adding dowels? Will that be strong enough to support chicks sitting on top? Thanks!

 

[poodlechicks]

Well said. Everyone has the right to have their own thoughts about things but that doesn't mean people must impose their thoughts on others.
I have to confess especially liked the part of your post saying you don't mind repeating the how to's of the setup

So, here is my question: my cave is 17 inches front to back, made out of a tomato cage. Is it too long considering the heating pad doesn't cover the whole thing? Thanks !