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

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Blooie said:
I didn't mean that we can't share some ideas on occasion!  Just that we were getting way toooo far off with things that have already been covered in depth on other threads.  :oops:
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Totally understand :) I think for me, I feel like I know you guys somewhat and feel comfortable and trust you guys, plus I've gotten SO many ideas and help off this thread, so when I ask "xyz" question about grass clumps let's say, you all already know why we put those in there and i don't have to explain why or have someone be like-hey that's dangerous for whatever reason etc. Does that make sense? I feel safe here I guess is what I'm saying ;)
 
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@Blooie Congrats on the one month. I quit 11 years ago and it does get easier although after all this time there are still those moments.

This is certainly the most active thread I'm subscribed to and participate in. I know we tend to stray off topic but I think it's because those of us that have embraced the MHP are open to ideas that may veer away from "traditional" chicken keeping. Sometimes I wish I could leave the camera in the brooder and make it be live (I'd have to give access to my security cameras and I like you all but there is a limit to what I can get away with) so people could see how quiet chick brooding can actually be. I think we should get t-shirts made that say "my chicks sleep through the night".

I do have a question. My chicks are a little over 2 weeks old and my MHP is set on 2 with the height at 5" in the back and 6" in the front. They are almost never inside the cave during the day and move in and out at night. I could raise it higher but as it is it's providing minimal warmth. My chicks are quiet and content as normal. I'm debating turning off the MHP and seeing how they react. I think they sleep in the cave because that is what they are used to. It's rainy and wet outside so I'm keeping them in the brooder for at least another week but if they are done with the MHP I'd like to remove it and put in roosts to see if they can transition from sleeping on the floor. Is it unheard of for them to not need MHP so quickly and does anyone see an advantage to keeping it in use?

I might add that were getting into the 80s during the day and to about 65 at night. I suppose I should watch the weather and see if that is going to hold.
 
poodlechicks said:
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
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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 !
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Well just cut the frame shorter...here is what I did last year.

700

700

700

Wrapped only part in wire and this became a problem when they got bigger and would climb on top of the frame. There was no support to hold their weight in the back since the was no wire.
700

So I re-wrapped the whole length, this helped tremendously.
700


700

We had 15 with this set up originally, they out grew the tomatoe cage frame, I switched to a kitchen shelf. I probably could have just re-worked the frame to flatten it out more. Anyway, does this help? How many chicks do you have?
 
Thank you. I appreciate the kinds words from you and and everyone else who has affirmed what I've known for a long time - we get the best people in here, and people with all levels of chicken raising experience help each other out!

If it were me, I'd leave MHP in for one more week. I know, they probably won't use it at much, but they should still have it available if they do want it. Your temps are pretty mild, but better safe than sorry and they don't really have a lot of feathering yet. They'll regulate themselves pretty well.

This reminds me of one of the things about MHP that I love the most. If you had those chicks under a heat lamp, you wouldn't even be wondering if you could be turning it off yet. You'd just be obediently raising the lamp, and at two weeks old they'd be all the way "down" to 85 - 90 degrees now. Scary, isn't it, how we overbake these poor little guys sometimes! And they wouldn't have even have had a truly colder place to get away from it, because no matter how hard you try, unless you have brooder that's absolutely huge, that heat lamp still heats the entire space to some extent. Yeah....
 
COChix said:
Well just cut the frame shorter...here is what I did last year.




Wrapped only part in wire and this became a problem when they got bigger and would climb on top of the frame. There was no support to hold their weight in the back since the was no wire.

So I re-wrapped the whole length, this helped tremendously.



We had 15 with this set up originally, they out grew the tomatoe cage frame, I switched to a kitchen shelf. I probably could have just re-worked the frame to flatten it out more. Anyway, does this help? How many chicks do you have?
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Ah-HA!!! I KNEW it was you!!!
jumpy.gif
 

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