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

[FlyWheel]

Don't worry, they'll figure it out. Chicken's ain't dumb.

 

[TerryH]

Brooder #2 with the older chicks is MHP free now. Those chicks are doing so well at my Mom's house. It's been so fun for her. Some of the 3 week olds are still using MHP #1 at our house. I'm hoping to have the interior of the coop done this weekend so I can integrate the 2 groups into the coop. I'll setup MHP #1 in the coop when we do. I'm SO ready to be done with the coop and to have the chicks in their real home.

 

[lazy gardener]

@Blooie Just wanted to say thank you again for your original post on the heating pad idea!! My 3 week old chicks are loving it, and love being out in the coop! ( and I don't mind not having the dust and mess in the house as well lol ) . I belong to another chicken site, and had made mention on the MHP idea, and how it works for me, versus the 24/7 light. I have had so many people message me asking about it, saying they didn't know there were other options! I have told them this was NOT my idea, but I did get the idea from a wonderful person.
So with that being said, there are roughly 6 new people that will be or are converting to the MHP. I do believe the idea is catching on!!


Now I have a question for all of you. My littles are 3 weeks old, and have yet to have their feet on the grass and dirt. At what age can I turn them loose in the run, and will they learn on their own to go back up the ramp and into the coop, or do I need to teach them somehow to use the ramp?

I let mine out between 2 - 3 weeks old. They are in a grow out coop. You'll need to supervise them to be sure they figure it out. Also, be sure the run has no place they can escape or get stuck where you can't get to them. You'll need to count beaks now and then to be sure they are all getting back inside. Next step will be to integrate with the big flock. This will be a challenge for me this year with hawk predation, so they will likely need to be integrated in the run, instead of free range. Easier IMO with free range as there is less issue with them getting cornered.

 

[duluthralphie]

In the past few days I read on here about someone putting multiple MHP's in their brooder.

I have so busy I could not really reply when I read it. I recently did that. It did not work as planned.

I had 2 large groups of chicks 50-60 and knew they would not fit under one pad. I set up two, one at each end of the brooder. My thought was these little fellows would find a fair and democratic way to split into two groups, one under each pad.

The birds failed democracy 101. The all huddled under the same pad. They could not get under it. I even used a little night light near each one to draw them apart.

In the morning I had little birds that could not get under the pad all around it. They were fine, the other pad was empty, not one bird around. During the day they had used them both running under and getting warm then out to eat and play. Not at night.

When I lifted the pad I had 2 that had died, squished together I am sure.


So if you need to use two pads, and I hope you don't, keep them together to spread the birds out. I will not use two again, I will split the chicks into separate brooders even if I have to use the bathtub as a brooder....

Maybe your chicks will be smarter than mine, but that was my 2 pad experience.

 

[Leahs Mom]

So if you need to use two pads, and I hope you don't, keep them together to spread the birds out. I will not use two again, I will split the chicks into separate brooders even if I have to use the bathtub as a brooder....

@duluthralphie

I wonder how it would have worked if the 2 pads were scooted together - and space open all around?

Mine is a rigid shelf like @aart 's and @henless that they can exit from all sides. Wonder if 2 of them together would have alleviated the problem?

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. One large brooder frame with both pads would have been expedient...and I cannot stress enough about keeping both ends wide open, especially when doing large groups and especially if doing meat birds.

That air flow and the inability to scrunch themselves into a corner could save the lives of some chicks. A hen does not have just one opening under which chicks can enter and exit and neither should your brooder, no matter how high you tip the front end for allowing egress and ingress and airflow. That back end opening could mean life or death for some of the chicks.

 

[aart]

Using 2 frames/MHP's were discussed here previously......questions was whether to make them 12 x 48 or 24 x 24.
I voted for 12 x 48 for a shorter front to back egress route......can't remember what they did tho.
I believe the frames were open on all sides.

 

[duluthralphie]

@duluthralphie

I wonder how it would have worked if the 2 pads were scooted together - and space open all around?

Mine is a rigid shelf like @aart 's and @henless that they can exit from all sides. Wonder if 2 of them together would have alleviated the problem?

I have both ends open. I have thought, in retrospect I should have scooted them closer together, maybe with a little 2-3 inch space between them so they could have escaped out the middle too..

All I know for sure, is I failed, chick rearing 101 again.

 

[Beekissed]

Not failed...just learning. We've all made those kind of mistakes and it's a heartbreak when your mistake ends a life...that seems to make it worse to me. As a nurse, I was very aware of the same thing...mistakes made in nursing can mean life or death or the comfort level of your patient, so when you make them it's a dire consequence and not to be taken lightly.

With little chicks, we are all flying blind as each hatch is different and each chick is different and they have no way of communicating their needs. I wouldn't get too down about it, as it's all a learning experience.....though some seem to learn, others seem to keep making the same mistakes over and over. Just don't be one of those...they are the most frustrating to see on this BYC forum and it keeps me off this place more often than not.

 

[lazy gardener]

In the past few days I read on here about someone putting multiple MHP's in their brooder.

I have so busy I could not really reply when I read it. I recently did that. It did not work as planned.

I had 2 large groups of chicks 50-60 and knew they would not fit under one pad. I set up two, one at each end of the brooder. My thought was these little fellows would find a fair and democratic way to split into two groups, one under each pad.

The birds failed democracy 101. The all huddled under the same pad. They could not get under it. I even used a little night light near each one to draw them apart.

In the morning I had little birds that could not get under the pad all around it. They were fine, the other pad was empty, not one bird around. During the day they had used them both running under and getting warm then out to eat and play. Not at night.

When I lifted the pad I had 2 that had died, squished together I am sure.


So if you need to use two pads, and I hope you don't, keep them together to spread the birds out. I will not use two again, I will split the chicks into separate brooders even if I have to use the bathtub as a brooder....

Maybe your chicks will be smarter than mine, but that was my 2 pad experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience. You will save someone else from sure calamity. I briefly considered putting the second heating pad in my brooder coop this afternoon, but since chicks are almost 3 weeks old (17 of them) I decided against it.

I have both ends open. I have thought, in retrospect I should have scooted them closer together, maybe with a little 2-3 inch space between them so they could have escaped out the middle too..

All I know for sure, is I failed, chick rearing 101 again.

No, you did not fail. IMO, since we are not broody hens, we are bound to have failures. Even with a heat lamp, it's not unusual for chicks to pig pile at night, resulting in a few deaths. IMO, the bigger the brood, the bigger the risk. The smaller space between pads might have made a difference... then again, it may not have. Who can figure the mind of a chick???

I did a little assembly for 5 classes of first graders today. We discussed the role of chickens in farming for egg and meat production, weed and bug control, tilling the soil, and providing fertilizer. Did a little segment on egg anatomy, egg color. Finished with 3 chicks who stole the show. They were well behaved. No one got pooped on. I was also able to put in a plug for MHP brooding!