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

[aart]

..... My plan is to only have them in the garden when I'm home to supervise them......
...UGH!! I'm thinking that I think I'm overthinking my thinking!!.....

Do you plan on gardening, flowers and/or veggies, in that garden?
Birds of prey(who can still attack despite human presence) and the chooks flying over might be the least of your worries......
...the chooks can make pretty quick work of tearing up plants.

So you might have to plan on fencing them away from your plants....just too give you something else to think about.

 

[AllynTal]

I'd love to see pics of your set-up. I was just outside staring at my coop thinking about the best way to go about putting a nipple waterer inside the coop with the water source outside, because if I can take out the large hanging waterer that's in there now, I can add another roost in the space and maybe add two more birds.

You know, I was looking around for pics and found this right here on this site:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/supremo-waterer

I'm not putting mine on a pole. I'm putting a shelf outside the coop and run to accommodate the bucket, but it's that idea.

 

[Spinning Carrie]

I would love pterydactyls to remove bad neighbors! They could all live together and deal with each other! I mostly try to ignore/avoid her.

DH and I were out working on the coop today and he thought his air compressor tripped the circuit, so he reset it and didn't tell me. Awhile later I was checking the chicks and noticed their lit up controller was not lit up! It pays sometimes to be OCD. I think if I were going to brood often, I would probably get one of the heating pads that comes back on if the power goes out. I can't believe how much their little wing feathers have come in already!

Carrie

 

[FlyWheel]

I can see the next thread now....Mama Heating Blanket in the Brooder!

Hey, that gives me an idea! Wasn't someone asking about an extra large MHP for something like 24 chicks (or was it ducklings)? Would an electric throw/blanket get warm enough? They're about 60 x 72", easily large enough to cover that many birds, even if they are ducklings.

 

[hpierce88]

Do you plan on gardening, flowers and/or veggies, in that garden?
Birds of prey(who can still attack despite human presence) and the chooks flying over might be the least of your worries......
...the chooks can make pretty quick work of tearing up plants.

So you might have to plan on fencing them away from your plants....just too give you something else to think about.

I already planned on fencing in the raised beds and the compost pile to keep the little scratchers out of them. I am, however, counting on them to keep the rest of the garden weed free for me in exchange for room and board.

 

[Blooie]

@Finny Glad the link was helpful. I love the "smooshability" (Shut up, Spell checker dude - it's a word NOW!) of the simple metal frame. I'm using the same one I started with last year and it hasn't lost any of its "smooshability" (HA, take that Spell Checker dude - I said it again!) despite this being the 4th batch of chicks raised under it. The only thing I did differently when I gutted it the other day was to put the pad inside the frame and bungee cord it in place. Slick, slick, slick!!

@COChix Wild? Gosh, fortunately mine didn't get the memo!

 

[Blooie]

Hey, that gives me an idea! Wasn't someone asking about an extra large MHP for something like 24 chicks (or was it ducklings)? Would an electric throw/blanket get warm enough? They're about 60 x 72", easily large enough to cover that many birds, even if they are ducklings.

Might except for one little detail...the heating pads almost all of us use can be used for moist heat. Electric throws? Not so much!

I guess. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

[aart]

Quote: For some reason the video of a dog pissing on an electronet popped in to my mind when I read this.

 

[Blooie]

For some reason the video of a dog pissing on an electronet popped in to my mind when I read this.

 

[TerryH]

Mom's brooder is up and running. 2 lovely Wyandottes are all settled. Black looks 2 weeks, blue more like 3. Mom's been sitting with them most of the day.

I think this is going to be really good for her.

Brooder #2..

Where the heck am I????

They both immediately shot under the MHP. lol... Mom is like , "Where did they go?"

I made a wire cover. 1/3 of it is on zip tie hinges so she can just open it up to do whatever is needed with the food and water.

Everybody looks happy!!! OK, well except for Sophie her dog. Sophie not super happy that she's not getting 100% of Mom's attention.

My entire life has been overtaken by chickens.