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

[TerryH]

Well tomorrow is the day that my Mom gets her 2 - 2 1/2 week old Blue Laced Red Wayndottes. I have brooder #2 setup and ready to go down to her house in the morning complete with MHP #2. My question is, how much do these chicks need heat if they are in the house and for how long will they need the MHP? I've not seen them. Cheryl is picking them up from Muddy Feathers in the morning so no clue of their accrual size or feathering. Any advice is appreciated. Trying to make this as easy and simple as possible for my favorite 89 year old.

 

[duluthralphie]

Oh Never mind......I will be back after my trip,,,

 

[Blooie]

What did I miss?

Oh Never mind......I will be back after my trip,,,

 

[duluthralphie]

What did I miss?

Oh, Nevermind......

 

[Blooie]

Okay, here's the deal....if Ralphie tells you something, look far, faa-aar below what he's saying to what he's actually saying. See, originally he wanted to win the trip to Australia, but he must have read my articles that I entered in the contest and lowered his expectations!!

 

[duluthralphie]

Tahiti is not really lowering my expectations, just changing them a tad...


People tend to look up to me and seldom notice my foot er...

 

[AllynTal]

So, big ol' hugs for the MHP. I picked up my chickens this morning and they spent the day in the nursery coop.

During the day, I left the pop door open. Just before dusk, I went out to close the door. After I came back in, I heard a single, loud, distressed chick. I went back out and opened the side door to find everyone else under the MHP and one chick was huddled in the corner chirping his little head off. As soon as I opened the door, he shut up and went into the cave with the rest. I closed the door and stood there for a minute, and sure enough, that chick starts chirping again, loud and distressed. I opened the door and he stopped, but again he was huddled in the corner. It occurred to me that where he was huddling, there is light that comes in around the closed door and he's huddling where there's the most light in the coop. I slid the pop door open a couple of inches and he shuts up. I came in the house and told my husband that I think the chick is freaked out being in the dark. Of course he pointed out that in a little while, it's going to be dark outside and if that's the case, the chick will start chirping again. . .and sure enough, once it got dark, I could hear him out there chirping his head off.

So I did a search here in the forums for "chick afraid of the dark" and I found numerous threads where people had the same problem but so much worse than mine. They have whole flocks that are terrified when the light goes out and pile up against the door, sometimes smothering fellow flock members in their panic and all of those chickens had started the first however many weeks of their lives with 24/7 light from the darned brooder lights. A couple of people said to tough it out and they'll soon calm down and get used to putting themselves to bed before dark and having a dark coop. And don't you know that by the time I finish reading about half a dozen threads, the loud chirping has stopped and everything is quiet outside. He must have chirped himself to sleep.

There is no way I'd go through the incessant noise having a light on 24/7, and then the raucous of having to wean them off it, so thank you all again for introducing me to the MHP.

My father-in-law, who is also planning to have some chickens soon, said something today about a brooding lamp when we were talking about the chicken coop. I told him heck no, I don't use a brooding lamp (like I'm some old hand at this and have been doing it for years). I use a heating pad. He's intrigued. We'll talk about it when he comes over to help finish the big coop.

 

[WyoJax]

I have tried a few different treats to entice my chicks; mealworms? Nothing to write home. thawed out frozen strawberries? Uh-uh. Blackberries? little real interest (the adults love em though!). Apples? About the same as mealworms.

Pieces of tomatoes? INCOMING!!!! :cd :cd :cd :cd :cd :cd :cd  

I almost went to Petco last week and got mealworms. I'm kind of glad I haven't yet. I've heard mixed things about chickens liking them. I will definitely have to try apples! So far the girls aren't too impressed with tomatoes but it has yet to get really warm. I'm sure that will change. Can't wait to try watermelon! The warm oatmeal makes me feel a little better about the cold. More silly chicken Mama nonsense.

 

[COChix]

Love ya, Bruce!!!!  I got an internal pip tonight!  

Good luck with your hatch.

Well I'm glad most of you feel they will be ok even without heat. I have the MHP in there but when I checked in them after dark they were all huddled on the roost bar furthest from the heating pad. But they were quiet and seemed settled so I just left them that way. At least it's not in the 20s so I'll just have another glass of wine tonight and not worry about it

I wouldn't worry about your fully feathered chicks....I don't think you will have issues. They already told you that they got this!

Well tomorrow is the day that my Mom gets her 2 - 2 1/2 week old Blue Laced Red Wayndottes. I have brooder #2 setup and ready to go down to her house in the morning complete with MHP #2. My question is, how much do these chicks need heat if they are in the house and for how long will they need the MHP? I've not seen them. Cheryl is picking them up from Muddy Feathers in the morning so no clue of their accrual size or feathering.  Any advice is appreciated. Trying to make this as easy and simple as possible for my favorite 89 year old.

It has been so cute to follow along on this story. All will be waiting for the adorable pics that I am sure will follow,

I almost went to Petco last week and got mealworms. I'm kind of glad I haven't yet. I've heard mixed things about chickens liking them. I will definitely have to try apples! So far the girls aren't too impressed with tomatoes but it has yet to get really warm. I'm sure that will change. Can't wait to try watermelon! The warm oatmeal makes me feel a little better about the cold. More silly chicken Mama nonsense.

Ours love grapes, the adult flock that is. Haven't fed any treats to the babies yet, although they do love their fermented feed.

@aart we are here anytime you need to talk chicken, I do the same thing. However, I probably talk my BF ear off about the chickens, God love him for indulging me. He does love the birds but I am the chicken mamma in this household.

@Blooie you have a cute pair of hatched chicks, but I think you are due to pay the brigade with your new crew.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I almost went to Petco last week and got mealworms. I'm kind of glad I haven't yet. I've heard mixed things about chickens liking them. I will definitely have to try apples! So far the girls aren't too impressed with tomatoes but it has yet to get really warm. I'm sure that will change. Can't wait to try watermelon! The warm oatmeal makes me feel a little better about the cold. More silly chicken Mama nonsense.

I orded canned meal worms once, retain the juice, supposed to like them better, but mine HATED them.

But then just yesterday we went to Tractor Supply and I picked up a bag of Happy Hens treats, the Mealworm and Oats kind. It has oat groats, raisins, sunflower kernels, peanuts, and of course meal worms. Mine went CRAZY for the stuff. They absolutely LOVE IT. You might want to try that or one of the other Happy Hens treats. They have a lot of kinds.

Here's what mine is.