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

[FlyWheel]

If you look at chicks with a momma hen, you will often see them sitting on top of her. Maybe the view is better from up there

<snip!>

Or maybe they just get tired of being in a chicken's armpit.

I usually don't change the Press 'n Seal very often. If it gets yucky (WHEN it gets yucky, I should say!) I just wipe it off with a paper towel. Doesn't clean it perfectly but gets the chunks off!

I tried putting a plastic sheet over the towel to keep it clean, but they kept sliding off it. (maybe the press and seal would have worked better).

Now I just refold the towel so the dirty side is inside the folds and away from the chicks. When I run out of sides I change the towel and wash the dirty one.

 

[Nariah01]

Well we added 3 one week old chicks to our 5 two week old chicks. So far so good, there doesn't seem to be any bullying, a little bit of pecking, nothing bad though, just normal stuff. They are smaller, and I am a little worried about them getting squashed by the older ones since the new ones are so docile. I check on them every now and then and they seem to being doing ok. I think its going to work out ok, man I heard of chicken math but I had no idea it would hit me so soon.

 

[Nariah01]

Just can't stop dinking with the chicken coop.

Built a leanto wire barrier to get the chicks used to going thru the chick doors between the coop partition and the main coop and it worked pretty darn well.
A section of 1x2 welded wire cut a little shorter than the span, a stick of 1/3 to stiffen the bottom edge,and a scrap of plastic mesh to flexibly fill the remaining gap span.

Had to shove a few thru at first, but they figured it out pretty quick....they like it in there, found half of them lounging in there this afternoon(didn't get a pic of that of course), when I walked into the main coop most of them scampered back thru the doors to their safe haven.

From the main coop side of the partition wall.......

....doors are set to about 3-3.5" wide.


End view of leanto.....only one chick lounging in there at the time.

Partition side of wall.



....AND to stay on topic(hahaha) removed the MHP and replaced it with a huddle box.
The oldest chicks are 4 weeks old tomorrow and most are mostly feathered.



So will take the leanto down after a couple days and they can venture fully in to the big birds world.....
....Because I also got the entire main run meshed with 1/2" HC yesterday!!!!
Thanks to my most wonderful buddy who came over and helped me knock it out.
.....and he graciously crawled under the coop to get the Under-Run meshed.
115 feet of mesh and 150 zipties. Finished up the door panels this morning.

That is really neat how you rigged that up for the chicks. So how warm is it at night where your at? I see that your chicks are mostly feathered out but is the huddle box really all they need at only four weeks?

 

[COChix]

@Aart our chicks are going to be 4 weeks old at the end of this week and almost completely feathered. I think after a week or so,I will remove their MHP and try a huddle box, you have inspired me to try it. Love your portals and lean too.

Also had to post this action shot, the smallest chick dive bombing off their ramp...

 

[Blooie]

That is really neat how you rigged that up for the chicks. So how warm is it at night where your at? I see that your chicks are mostly feathered out but is the huddle box really all they need at only four weeks?

I agree, really great job, @aart

@Nariah01 I literally raise my chicks outdoors from the time I get them, or they hatch here, which is where our two new ones came from. The chicks I have in the incubator now will also go outside after they are dry, fluffy, and I know they can get water. We are talking temps in the teens and twenties, with a couple of snowstorms thrown in for good measure. By 4 weeks they are integrated with the adult chickens and needing no heat whatsoever. Oh, and I live in Northern Wyoming.

 

[Nariah01]

@Aart our chicks are going to be 4 weeks old at the end of this week and almost completely feathered. I think after a week or so,I will remove their MHP and try a huddle box, you have inspired me to try it. Love your portals and lean too.

Also had to post this action shot, the smallest chick dive bombing off their ramp...

I love that, "look out world here I come!"

 

[Nariah01]

I agree, really great job, @aart

@Nariah01 I literally raise my chicks outdoors from the time I get them, or they hatch here, which is where our two new ones came from. The chicks I have in the incubator now will also go outside after they are dry, fluffy, and I know they can get water. We are talking temps in the teens and twenties, with a couple of snowstorms thrown in for good measure. By 4 weeks they are integrated with the adult chickens and needing no heat whatsoever. Oh, and I live in Northern Wyoming.

I was going to put them outside as soon as the coop is done, so probably 3-4 weeks old with there heating pad. But if I can put them out with just a huddle box that would be awesome. My DH is planning on running power to the coop but I don't know if it will happen right away or not so I'd have to run an extension cord for the heating pad. I'm up in Western WA so I think our mild weather would be ok if your chicks can handle Wyoming!

 

[aart]

That is really neat how you rigged that up for the chicks. So how warm is it at night where your at? I see that your chicks are mostly feathered out but is the huddle box really all they need at only four weeks?

They have most their feathers, they'll be fine.

2 weeks ago I gathered all the chicks into a tote to re-band them.....
.....I could not believe how warm it was in that tote, those little buggers put out a lot of heat.

Thus the huddle box, it will keep any drafts off them and hold the heat from their bodies.
Oh it's in the 40-50F's at night....was almost 80 today.

 

[aart]

Quote: Start cooling them off now....turn the MHP down until they squeak....open window in brooder room if you can.

 

[MesMama]

Finally got some good shots of my 5 weekers