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

[GardenNut]

Took this today....sorry for the narrow view....I was holding the camera wrong because I'm old and easily confused.

Adorable! They act like they want to go hang with the big kids!

 

[TerryH]

Your set up looks a lot like mine. The same happened to my chicks when I expanded my brooder

So nice to see your mom is enjoying her chicks a great deal.

Thanks. That's actually my wife.

 

[mymilliefleur]

So tonight we decided that we are going to change the bedding and expand the brooder box. I had made provision for this by cutting one side in half and sliding another 3 sided box over the first when we first set up the border. Easy enough. I added a couple of new pieces of firewood for their entertainment. Everybody needed a big snack after being out in a little box while we worked on their home.

Everything seemed normal...

Until bed time. They had no clue that they had the same MHP that they have always have. They were all piled up in one corner. We literally had to catch every one of them and not only put them in the MHP but force them to stay there. Eventually their little brains kicked in and they all stayed under quietly chirping themselves to sleep like they always do. Chickens are weird.

Nice looking brooder set up.

 

[lalaland]

not sure what to suggest for your chick. am thinking it got very chilled, but I don't understand why the chick doesn't stay under the mbh. If anyone is around today, maybe carrying it close to your body to keep warm - or some other way to keep it warmed.

sometimes a chick just doesn't thrive, but the fact the chick was cold makes me think it was the chilling.

keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[TerryH]

not sure what to suggest for your chick. am thinking it got very chilled, but I don't understand why the chick doesn't stay under the mbh. If anyone is around today, maybe carrying it close to your body to keep warm - or some other way to keep it warmed.

sometimes a chick just doesn't thrive, but the fact the chick was cold makes me think it was the chilling.

keeping my fingers crossed.

We finally did get her to stay under there. She is still very lethargic, head down etc... No clue what to do. We both have to go to work. Wish one of us could be here with her but we just can't today.

 

[lazy gardener]

I am in tears right now as I type this. I went to go check on the brooder this morning and found my little Blue Ameraucana chick wedged between the hardware cloth and the heating pad, dead.

I feel like this is all my fault. I let her down! The system seemed to be working wonderfully. They've been happy and growing. She was only a week old! She was the main reason I decided to go with raising baby chicks this year, instead of getting started 6 week old pullets from the feed store, as I've always wanted a Blue Ameraucana. I feel just sick right now!

I just thought I'd share this so it doesn't happen to anyone else.

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

I wouldn't worry about it. IMO the whole calcium thing is highly over rated.

A little issue this morning as well in stupidland. One of the Austrolorps was not under the MHP when we went in to wake them up. We held her thinking she was just cold. Tried putting her under the MHP after that but she won't stay. Acting very lethargic with her head down. Got her to drink a tiny bit of sugar water but still the same. She did eat some. Guess we just wait and see or is there something else we should be doing??

While you are at work, swing by the local feed store on your way home and pick up some poultry nutri-drench. I swear it will bring the dead back to life!

 

[poodlechicks]

 Thanks. That's actually my wife.  

haha, let me just dig a hole in the ground and bury my face right in

Hope you forgive me, TerryH's wife

 

[Beekissed]

Nice looking brooder set up.

I love the sheer size of that brooder box!!!

TerryH, if that tape doesn't hold up on the cord, one can make a slit in the cardboard and just put the cord down in the slit....holds very well.

 

[mobius]

@Blooie re: not being able to edit/change the beginning of this thread...I agree with everyone here....I read the beginning and the end before I made my MHP....got many more tips, e.g. the pillow case. Also, hardware cloth may not be the best thing to use if not covered properly...I used the larger 2x4 fence wire just like you originally did...must be less chance of a chick getting stuck, I would think?

Frustrating not to be able to edit, but the thread is pretty big now...everyone having a LOT of fun here with your good guidance!

Anyway, I wonder if writing a definitive article for the forum, at this point, would be a good idea....then we could just point folks to the article....with changes, suggestions for a baby monitor maybe etc etc etc. Just my thoughts. I would help cause i don't want to make more work for you, if you would like help, just ask!

 

[LilyBird]

Hi all....I'm new to the idea of having chicks. I got my first chickens at 8-9 weeks old last July. (Yay! We all survived our Canadian winter! LOL)

I'm REALLY intrigued by the idea of creating a mama hen cave for the 3 chicks I plan on getting this weekend. Since I'm in Canada and our weather isn't the warmest yet, I'll be keeping my chicks inside the house for a little while yet. Our garage is cold and dark so I don't want them staying in there...I want them to socialize with us! And I love the idea of raising them more naturally with the cycles of the sun. So because they will be in the house, I really don't want to use a heat lamp. I have dogs that if they got curious, could knock a lamp over. (Whereas they couldn't knock over a mama hen cave!! My brooder will be a 50 gal fish tank that we have in our basement. I've read lots of other people have had good luck with them as long as there is adequate ventilation. We will make a frame and wire mesh top for it so there is lots of air circulation.

My question is....can I use the mama hen heating pad cave in a fish tank? I could put it on one end and they would still have plenty of room to roam around. Is there any reason this wouldn't work?? And what kind of bedding is best to use? I have straw or pine shavings available.

And also, if anyone else can answer another question....Could I put my fish tank brooder in front of a window?

Thanks so much!!