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

[FaerieGlynne]

I'm freaking out that my brooder is way too small. Here is what I built yesterday

The two plastic bottles are today's project they will be the feeder and waterer and are in for size reference.

The MHP takes up more than half of the box! My long term plan was to cut a whole in the side so that they could run around they're coop in a few weeks. The coop is just an old converted shed

I have both a straw bale and a giant bag of shavings. My question is this. Is that way too small to be starting 6 ducklings in? I can cut a hole in the tub early and maybe block in an area with the bale, but I'm worried that at least in that first day or two they might "get lost" and not be able to find their way back to the heating pad.

Thoughts?

 

[aart]

I'm freaking out that my brooder is way too small. Here is what I built yesterday



The two plastic bottles are today's project they will be the feeder and waterer and are in for size reference.

The MHP takes up more than half of the box! My long term plan was to cut a whole in the side so that they could run around they're coop in a few weeks. The coop is just an old converted shed





I have both a straw bale and a giant bag of shavings. My question is this. Is that way too small to be starting 6 ducklings in? I can cut a hole in the tub early and maybe block in an area with the bale, but I'm worried that at least in that first day or two they might "get lost" and not be able to find their way back to the heating pad.

Thoughts?

Yes, that tote is way too small.....just put the MHP in the coop, maybe fence(or use bales) a smaller part of the coop for the first week.
Then you have time to figure out how to go in and out of the coop without the ducklings escaping...or to build a run.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Getting chick wire up in small run today.....
gonna whine, about arthritic body, long damaged knees/ankle/foot making it very difficult to get up and down off the ground, %$#*&@*!.
....the pain tomorrow is going to be nofunatall.

The first 17 foot section is up, probably the hardest one as I had to remove a bunch of roots. Another 17 footer, then an 8 footer and that'll be it.
I'm confident in getting this done today, nice to feel some realistic optimism...the chicks should be back outside by midafternoon. Yayy!!

Time for food and some ibuprofen to stave off the pains....then back at it!

@aart I knew you were a kindred spirit

damaged knees, tendon transfer to left foot - right foot about to go, arthritic hands. Getting up off the ground is not pretty! Just remember the fun you were having while you relax with the heating pad, the ice pack, and a glass of wine

 

[aart]

...... Getting up off the ground is not pretty! ....

No, it most certainly is NOT pretty......hahaha!!......and it freaking hurts!

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm freaking out that my brooder is way too small. Here is what I built yesterday



The two plastic bottles are today's project they will be the feeder and waterer and are in for size reference.

The MHP takes up more than half of the box! My long term plan was to cut a whole in the side so that they could run around they're coop in a few weeks. The coop is just an old converted shed





I have both a straw bale and a giant bag of shavings. My question is this. Is that way too small to be starting 6 ducklings in? I can cut a hole in the tub early and maybe block in an area with the bale, but I'm worried that at least in that first day or two they might "get lost" and not be able to find their way back to the heating pad.

Thoughts?

Ditto what Aart said. That tote is so narrow that you can't even get the correct slope on the MHP to allow good contact with the chicks. Ditch the tote altogether. I would put an other window in your coop. If you are not able to do that, perhaps hang a light. But they are going to need some predator proof ventilation for sure. You could even partition off a section of the coop with some cardboard and some strategic use of duct tape. How many chicks you getting? Wishing you the best!

 

[mobius]

Ditto what Aart said. That tote is so narrow that you can't even get the correct slope on the MHP to allow good contact with the chicks. Ditch the tote altogether. I would put an other window in your coop. If you are not able to do that, perhaps hang a light. But they are going to need some predator proof ventilation for sure. You could even partition off a section of the coop with some cardboard and some strategic use of duct tape. How many chicks you getting? Wishing you the best!

Yup large cardboard box for right now is probably easiest....I taped together two Lowe's medium moving boxes i had left over, we were good until about four weeks, MHP and all! No worries...gives you lotsa time to work on coop as mentioned above! Terry H (scroll back recently) built a great huge brooder from a fridge box...

 

[aart]

Got it DONE!! Went pretty smooth technically, learned some tricks that will be beneficial when doing the large run...where I will have some assistance and camaraderie.
Chicks were very happy to be outside again, dove right into a huge dust bathing party. 42 feet of 1/2" HC, no more chicks heads stuck in wire.

 

[kmarvin]

Out of curiosity, what size dog crate do you use?

 

[aart]

Duck tape would be appropriate....hahahaha!

 

[aart]

Out of curiosity, what size dog crate do you use?

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