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

[TerryH]

She really just wants her own MHP!!

And apparently she will have it. Cheryl is texting the hatchery to see if they still have the ones we decided not to get because they were a couple of weeks older. She's more comfortable with the older ones. sheesh. **shaking my head again**

 

[dyorto]

Gotta love the unplanned variables of chicken math

 

[TerryH]

Gotta love the unplanned variables of chicken math

Actually I don't "gotta".

 

[MesMama]

@Blooie YAY!!!!!! I'm so glad to read your news this morning!!! I hope the others all hatch for you as well!

@TerryH Yeah, I'm with your wife I saw that coming from a mile away, especially the pic of your mom snuggling that one chick <3 I hope your mom is able to get some chicks Too cute!!! And you sound like my husband, little did he know how active he would be in the chick raising process LOL! But he secretly adores them I'm pretty sure

 

[TerryH]

@TerryH Yeah, I'm with your wife

I saw that coming from a mile away, especially the pic of your mom snuggling that one chick <3 I hope your mom is able to get some chicks

Too cute!!! And you sound like my husband, little did he know how active he would be in the chick raising process LOL! But he secretly adores them I'm pretty sure

I guess I'm just dense. I thought her visiting ours was going to be the greatest thing ever for her. We've texted the hatchery. I've requested another box from my buddy at the appliance store. I'll make another MHP tonight after choir. Don't get me wrong, I love the chicks and I love seeing Cheryl and my Mom love them but sometimes I have to ask.........what have I gotten myself into???

 

[bruceha2000]

Yes. We always try to deal locally if we can. I know it obviously works but we were never comfortable with sending chicks through the mail. It was also nice to be able to get the amount of the breeds that we wanted without dealing with any minimums. There will also be same age replacements available for a while if we have any issues.

Edit: also priceless to pick them up and have them safe at home in 30 minutes.

That is great. What hatchery did you get them from?

I'm so happy to say that this worried Mama is one proud Mama of her babies. We have made our transition from inside to garage with no issues whatsoever. And that's with snow on the first night out!! MHP is where it's at, these babies take care of their self and even my littlest baby is well taken care of by her bigger sisters. I'm almost wondering if she is going to catch up to them. Mini Gold Laced Wyn? Now I'm excited about getting this coop up and get them out into their home!!

Entirely possible she will catch up.

I just moved the chicks outside for the first time. They are one week old and I wanted to add more litter to their bedding. The sun is finally out and we have reached an unheard of 44° so I figured it would be a good time. MHP set on high, out into the driveway the box went. Fresh bedding in, water changed and found an old cookie rack to put over the top since they have started looking up. 5 minutes later I thought I had poisoned them! One of the chicks spread out a wing and fell over sideways with its head on the ground. It stood up, walked 2 steps and did it again. Over and over, what was happening!!!!!! Maybe I hurt it when I was spreading the new bedding? Maybe it is not really pine but cedar and it is in distress!!!!! Then it switched wings and did it again. All the sudden I realized, it was enjoying the sun

I had not killed the little thing, rather made it so happy it was acting drunk. I have moved the feeder to the top of MHP for the next hour in order to give them as much of a sun pool to wallow in as possible.

What killed this chicken?


NOTHING! She's having a dust/sun bath. They are so funny when they sun and/or dust bathe.

Ok, you guys have to bear with me on this but I can't resist sharing this. We moved my mom, who will soon be 89 onto our street 7 years ago. We always had chickens and such growing up, She loved, loved, loved her chickens. I went and got her so she could check out the new babies. It was so fun to see her enjoying them!!

Here are a few pics...

I was a little misty eyed at her snuggling with the chick.

Too sweet!!! And just to show all the naysayers, this 89 Y/O woman thinks the MHP is a neat idea not a "you aren't doing it right, you will kill your chicks" naysayer. That is something coming from someone who has been around chickens for nearly a century.

The chicks will be here tomorrow!! Here is the brooder I have set up in the house so they can de-stress for the next couple of days, then I will move them out to the coop with the MHP!

I'm not seeing where the MHP will be in this setup. You want them having access to it from minute one, then move them out together.

I have a couple of questions about the heating pad, as you have the same make and model I have, do you happen to know the wattage of it? I figure it's somewhat less than the 250 watts of the heat lamp, but I can't find any info anywhere, either on the box, instructions or even the unit itself.

And two; how many weeks before the chicks no longer need it, at least not as a cave they can snuggle under?

Not even close to 250W, more like 60 or 70. Remember a heat lamp is intended to heat a space, a pad to heat a surface (like your back or the chicks' backs).

Nope, no roosters, @aart And LG, I don't know anyone "locally" to get eggs from....um from whom to get eggs... Lots of folks around here have chickens, but only two with roosters and I'm telling ya, I wouldn't buy eating eggs from either of them, <shudder> Ken said last night that as much as we travel, I should just go post on the Wyoming page where we're going to be - Cheyenne, Casper, Sheridan, etc. and when, and if any one there has hatching eggs at that time we could pick them up while we're there.

HOWMSOEVAH - Last night about 12:30 we saw a pip...just the tiniest little thing and it looked a lot like x. Not much bigger! I was so excited! I just knew we'd have a chick by sometime today. Woke up at 4:45 to cheeping...and CHEEPING.....and got up. Turned on the light and saw this little critter in there!


Now I just noticed that another egg in there is rocking a bit. So.....woo hoo!! This is a little Olive Egger and his/her name is Yokel.

Yokel is a GREAT chicken name...this is so eggciting!

Green Magnolia...wow...I am clueless...(not a rare occurrence)...

Noob, EVERYONE knows what a Green Magnolia chicken is!

Um, I can't even find a reference on Google! Must be someone's "project" (not yet a) breed or something/

@lazy gardener . I picked up 26 Black Copper Marans eggs locally. We are mid hatch - 7 so far, 2 more pips, still 7 that are maybe... 10 were tossed as we went along because they were clearly not progressing. The percentage is still not what I eggspected, but better than the eggs I"ve ordered online!

BTW, I could have ordered from this keeper of fine chickens, but since they were about 1.5 hours away, I made the drive.

I would too! Not only do you get them faster but they have a MUCH shorter and easier trip.

I am so happy to see new names popping in, and glad that MHP is working well for you. My friend @Ridgerunner reminded me that this isn't really a new idea - it's a version of the big hovers that used to be used for large scale operations - well, still are for that matter. I never even thought of that!! But that's what it is...just on a very small, backyard chicken owner's scale!

Yep. Hover brooders in big barns. Localized heat, ambient temps elsewhere, just like a hen. They use light bulbs for heat though so not giving the natural day/night experience.

Quote:
More dense cold air sinks, forcing warm (less densely packed molecules) up

But in the case of the MHP, or a hen, the heat is already at the top.
I agree, I think @Moxiechick may be the first person to post a temp AT the pad, where the chicks will be getting their heat, rather than the air space in the cave.

Thanks, aaart! I was looking for your post to quote along w lazy gardeners, but couldn't do both

I'm not measuring the temp anymore. They seem so contented there!

If you want to quote more than one post, click the "Multi" button on each one you want to quote. On the last one click the "Quote" button, or if the last one you want to quote was already "Multi"ed just click the Reply button. If you change your mind abut a multi, click the button on that post again. I will be LIGHTER grey, not back to white.

Quote:
Maybe you could move the whole brooder setup over to her house. It would be like having a hen brooding chicks out in the barn. You visit now and again but don't have to deal with any of the work

 

[bruceha2000]

I guess I'm just dense. I thought her visiting ours was going to be the greatest thing ever for her. We've texted the hatchery. I've requested another box from my buddy at the appliance store. I'll make another MHP tonight after choir. Don't get me wrong, I love the chicks and I love seeing Cheryl and my Mom love them but sometimes I have to ask.........what have I gotten myself into???

New math, in this case a new form of Chicken Math! Most people use the old fashioned kind, where THEY like the chickies so much that they get more ... and more ... and more. You have discovered a new version

 

[Blooie]

Terry, don't be surprised if it takes a little more to get older chicks to use MHP. Where ever they are coming from, they've probably been raised for the last two weeks under a heat lamp. At 2 weeks they may have to be pushed under it more, and they won't like suddenly experiencing darkness. May not be an issue, but some here have reported that older chicks didn't take too well to it. Others have no problem at all...I just wanted to give you a heads up.

 

[beautifulpirate]

This may have been mentioned but has anyone else used MHP for other birds? It will be a while before we expand enough for more livestock but I am already considering ducks and MAYBE guineas for the extra benefits they can add to our mini homestead.

 

[TerryH]

Terry, don't be surprised if it takes a little more to get older chicks to use MHP. Where ever they are coming from, they've probably been raised for the last two weeks under a heat lamp. At 2 weeks they may have to be pushed under it more, and they won't like suddenly experiencing darkness. May not be an issue, but some here have reported that older chicks didn't take too well to it. Others have no problem at all...I just wanted to give you a heads up.

Thanks for the advice Blooie. I can see how that might be an issue. We'll see what the hatchery has and go from there.