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

[bruceha2000]

I wish I had come across these posts explaining safety issues before setting up. I know I should have read all the pages in this thread, but I only read the first dozen or so, plus some at the end. Might I suggest an edit to the first post, that explains and shoes pictures of the set-up? This is what I referenced when building mine.

Sadly, no. Blooie wanted to modify her first post to correct something that could be misleading and found there is an amount of "time gone by" before which the post can not be edited. MAYBE a moderator could grant a "variance" ??? I don't know.

 

[TerryH]

@Moxiechick So very sorry. Breaks my heart also. They are all so precious.

 

[realsis]

I hate to ask but when she got in between the cloth could she not get out? Is that what happened to her?

 

[bruceha2000]

I hate to ask but when she got in between the cloth could she not get out? Is that what happened to her?

Yep that is what happens. They get in but they either aren't smart enough to figure out how to turn around or just physically can't.

 

[ShrekDawg]

That happens with the in ground WIRED electric fences. My sister had a German Shepherd that chased squirrels. I think they had about 2 acres. He would blow "through" the fence after a squirrel and they would find him sitting outside it when they got home from work. I BELIEVE the wireless fences only strike on the way out, not on the way back in. I don't know how they do that. There are some that just form a circle and others that you can form a shape so as to exclude them from some areas while allowing access to others. The latter type need to be "trained" with special signal flags so the system can determine the shape and "memorize it". Some of the circle ones are portable, once your dog is trained to the warning signal, you can take them and the fence to visit family for example and keep the dog in a defined space.

GPs, like many Livestock Guardian Dogs, have a bigger "mental" territory due to their breeding form many centuries to stay with the flock they tend. As I read it, some will travel a mile no problem so they DO need to be contained. Of course ALL dogs need to be contained unless maybe your house is in the middle of 1,000 acres. 

Blooie! You are going to kill your chicks if you put them outside before they are a year old! And no heat lamp??? 
Dues paid 


If they NEVER come out, the cave is probably cooler than it should be. 


Oh my! Shades of Scout. Glad I didn't read until all the installments were in. I'm NOT going to guess a gender for that chick, you know how well I did with Scout. :/



When I got my first chicks, I made a temporary (OK it is still there) a cheesy "run" about 18' x 18'  with one side being the barn wall (because that is how much old chicken wire and old plastic T-posts I found in the barn). At first we let them out only into that space. Then when we were outside watching chicken TV we opened the "gate" so they could explore. They slowly expanded their range as they got older but stuck together pretty much their entire first summer and fall.

They won't go very far at first, EVERYTHING is new and scary. You can let them out as long as they want to stay out if you are willing to hang out and find "outdoor stuff" to do in the general area. I would be more afraid of aerial predators picking them off than them getting to the fence line and going farther. At least for awhile. 


Yep, let the bigs out for the day and shut them out, then let the littles explore the area. More than likely the "risk" time with bigs and littles is around food and treats. One of my Cubalayas still chases the "chicks" (1 year old this coming June) from BOSS and scratch even though they could hang her up by her tail feathers if they wanted to given she is 2/3 their size. 


They NEED draft free. They should be fine when fully feathered, usually by 4 weeks, without heat as long as they can stay out of the weather and that includes wind in the area they sleep (or hide from breezes).


COULD have??   But whatever one is comfortable with is the BEST thing for them. 


Absolutely! NO mistakes are allowed in the Broodie Brigade. EVERYTHING has to be done to perfection and the carefully engineered specifications of a MHP setup    THOUSANDS of chicks could have been killed by your carelessness 

OK, lashing over, back to your regularly scheduled activities. 


Nope, none of my chicks were vaccinated and I never bought medicated feed. I do think that ramp looks too steep and the cleats are too far apart. The chicks don't exactly climb uphill real well. And put yourself in their position. The coop door is how high off the ground? Figure out how many "chick heights" that is then apply the ratio to a 1 year old child. Would the CHILD want to go down a steep ramp without "handholds" they can reach?


Oh my, you ARE suffering! See my post about a temporary outdoor run above. Takes about 10 minutes to put up and easy to move whenever you like.

I never realized there were different types of fences, I always assumed there was one electric fence? What's the kind they sell at pet stores? Maybe they sell more than one? They are all invisible right? Like we're not talking the strands of actual wire like cattle ones right? And I hadn't realized the flags were to train the system the shape, i thought they were to train the dog the boundaries lol

But you're absolutely right that dogs need to be contained. Ours usually just goes to the street behind us for some reason but he used to be gone a littlw while and we'd go catch him and be hitting the button on the e collar. We would think he was ignoring it and turn it up high and then he'd actually be fairly close amd come barreling home, frothing. But we had to go get him a lot too. But one time on a really hot summer day he went down the street to the pond by our house and went for a swim LOL he returned on his own, though we were using the collar too. He usually always came home eventually. But he was a brat, if he came home and you didn't notice or didn't open the door right away (he would come up to the door), he would just take off again. The pond was the furthest he ever went. And like I said, now he is on a rope and we also don't use the collar, partially cause we lost it and partially cause he mostly comes when called now. Well, only on leash or with collar, when he's not under control he knows it so we need to work on that. Another reason for the fence, we could work on off leash without the risk of him bolting. But will also practice in house. Our old dog roamed much more, he would go all through the whole neighborhood street behind us included, but also the rest of the neighborhoo . And he would cross the main road behind that street, technically a highway but in town, and go to the apartment complex over there. A lot of older people gave him food so he started doing it more. That's like the entire reason he roamed, to get people to feed him. He was a Lab haha one time in 2007 he got hit by a car but he had such a hard head that he was fine, just some abrasions and I think he hurt his back leg. He lived though, we put him down in 2009 at age 13 cause he could barely get up anymore. We got him at 18 months. Gator we got as a puppy in 2012, just a couple days shy of 8 weeks old, and so he just turned 4 in March. I think he roams just out of boredom and the Pyrenees desire to patrol his whole entire territory. He doesn't stop at houses or anything for food like Bailey used to. Some people, especially the kids, love Gator while lots others are scared or hate him. Everyone loved Bailey. I find it weird though that the Pyrenees roam. To me, if they are supposed to stay with the flock and protect them, then why wander away from them you know???? Why not stay and protect us? But maybe they also feel the need to patrol the perimeter of the property and make sure nothing breaks in and protect in that way?

 

[MesMama]

Closed the bigs out of the coop and let the littles out, what was the first thing they went after? The dang egg shell! Ugh. You little farts!! One got several "pecks" worth before we got them rounded back up. They were eating it off the floor (it's mounted too high for them to eat it directly from the feeder thing) because my bigs are PIGLETS and flick it everywhere *eye roll*

These things are constantly trying to kill themselves! :O

 

[eleaserek]

Finally got the newbies moved outside

I've been hesitant since it's been raining and chilly here in MT since I got the crate, and they've been inside for 4 weeks. I've had a window open in their room for several days. I'm hoping it's enough to acclimate them. I'm sure I'll have a rather sleepless night ahead of me!

 

[poodlechicks]

Hi Blooie and all,

Here are my dues! Except for the cochins, not sure of what breed they are. Feel free to chime in with suggestions

 

[Blooie]

I know exactly what they are - they're cute, that's what they are! You're welcome!

Oh, and paid in full!

 

[Blooie]

Sadly, no. Blooie wanted to modify her first post to correct something that could be misleading and found there is an amount of "time gone by" before which the post can not be edited. MAYBE a moderator could grant a "variance" ??? I don't know.

I may do that....didn't even think of it, Bruce. Thanks!