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

[azygous]

Random question - I am 90% sure our Australorp is a cockerel (how's that for luck, out of our 3 original supposed pullets! We only got the 4th because I've suspected this one of being a boy since week 2), what is the optimal time to rehome him? Want to do what will be easiest for him as well as the others. They freak out when one of them is missing!

It's best to give a cockerel a chance to gain some size and self confidence before sending him off to live with a new flock. I wait until he's at least 10 weeks old, preferably closer to four months.

 

[Angiebubs]

You are doing nothing wrong. You aren't trying to heat up the air in the cave, you are providing a warm surface for the chicks to touch their backs and wings to...it's an entirely different type of heating method than a heat lamp, resembling more what a mother hen provides.

I haven't moved the chicks over yet (Its been 8 hrs since the first hatched but they are still damp and wanting to make sure I have this set up correctly first.)

One thing I guess I am not clear on, does the heating pad go on top of the wire cooling rack (for support) or somehow attached underneath it? As I am not sure how they will be able to actually connect/touch it? with the way I have it on top currently.

 

[Angiebubs]

And now reading back I just saw the post where someone used bungie cords to strap it on the underside. Is that what most do? I had missed that somehow! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I used the bungies underneath. Just have to be sure there are enough of them to avoid any sags that chicks can crawl up into and get caught.

That way they can have the comfort of the soft pad cover right above them to snuggle up against - and no hard metal.

 

[lazy gardener]

Hoping someone can help? We created a MHP using 2x4, a wire rack, and this heating pad (http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-732-5...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) which does not turn off automatically.

I set it up and covered with pillow case, then pine shavings in the bottom of plastic water tank 36 x 18 x 12.

The temperature on the lower end (we slanted it slightly) is only 70-75? I know the surface of the pad itself was over a 100.

What am I doing wrong? Or how can I make this work? Chicks are hatching early and will need to be moved in there soon.

I am concerned about your set up: Are you saying that your brooder container is 36" long and 18" wide? That only leaves about 12" space at one end, and 6" along side the pad, if you snug it up against one wall. And the top of the container is not that far away. Those little buggers are good jumpers, even right out of the egg. They'll easily be hopping out of that container before you know it. When they get out, they can't get back in. Even though the pad doesn't put out as much heat as a heat lamp. they NEED, and must have more space that is not heated than is. Congrats on your hatch. I'd much rather see an early hatch than a late one.

 

[bruceha2000]

You are doing nothing wrong. You aren't trying to heat up the air in the cave, you are providing a warm surface for the chicks to touch their backs and wings to...it's an entirely different type of heating method than a heat lamp, resembling more what a mother hen provides.

I haven't moved the chicks over yet (Its been 8 hrs since the first hatched but they are still damp and wanting to make sure I have this set up correctly first.)

One thing I guess I am not clear on, does the heating pad go on top of the wire cooling rack (for support) or somehow attached underneath it? As I am not sure how they will be able to actually connect/touch it? with the way I have it on top currently.

What Jen said.

Throw out the thermometer. So many new people here get all concerned when the air in the cave isn't warm enough. Be a chick for a minute, put the back of your hand right up against the pad and feel the heat. That is how the chicks will use it.

I know it is hard to chuck the "95F for a week, 90F for a week" ambient air thing since that is all over just about ANY brooding information you can find. But it does not apply to the MHP brooding method and isn't good for chicks when using a heat lamp. No broody raised chick spends ANY amount of time in a 95F ambient environment unless they live in HOT climates. Yes, they may need 95F at times to warm up if they don't have a mama hen or heating pad to snuggle up against but they should have a much cooler area to play in when they aren't seeking heat.

Since yours are REALLY new (unlike the shipped chicks that are usually at least 2 days old by the time they arrive) do make sure the cave is low enough at the back that they can get right up against the pad on the underside of the frame.

 

[Angiebubs]

What Jen said.

Throw out the thermometer. So many new people here get all concerned when the air in the cave isn't warm enough. Be a chick for a minute, put the back of your hand right up against the pad and feel the heat. That is how the chicks will use it.

I know it is hard to chuck the "95F for a week, 90F for a week" ambient air thing since that is all over just about ANY brooding information you can find. But it does not apply to the MHP brooding method and isn't good for chicks when using a heat lamp. No broody raised chick spends ANY amount of time in a 95F ambient environment unless they live in HOT climates. Yes, they may need 95F at times to warm up if they don't have a mama hen or heating pad to snuggle up against but they should have a much cooler area to play in when they aren't seeking heat.

Since yours are REALLY new (unlike the shipped chicks that are usually at least 2 days old by the time they arrive) do make sure the cave is low enough at the back that they can get right up against the pad on the underside of the frame.

Great advice! So my work this morning is to find some small bungies (Any other suggestions on how to attach the pad to the underside?) and switch around how these are put together. And second, I think with how many are hatching etc. I am going to make the MHP smaller and split into 2 brooders so they have more "playground" space! Thanks for all the advice!

 

[azygous]

Try to keep the chicks all together in one space if you need to employ two heating pad caves. Chicks need to be part of one single unit or you may see conflicts later on.

I was using a mercury thermometer to test my MHP cave this past week just prior to bringing home my chicks. When I laid the thermometer inside the cave as it was sitting on my work bench in the garage, it registered over 100F at the #6 setting. It was warm in the garage, maybe 70F or more.

Then I took the set up out to the run and turned it on to #6 and measured it. It was 85F under the cave and the ambient temp was in the low 60s. Also the ground temp was much cooler than my workbench. So all of these influence the reading you'll get inside the cave.

Yet in spite of the reading, the pad will stay the same temp as chicks contact it with their backs, probably in the high 90s at the highest setting. My new chicks have been doing splendidly in spite of the night time temps getting down in the high 30s. They are just three days old today.

By the way, I gave them meal worms yesterday, and OMG, what a hilarious show! The first one to grab a worm took off running and cheeping madly, doing the quick twirl and reverse, and the others just stood there watching this spectacle, wondering what had suddenly caused their brooder mate to go nuts. When the others caught on, it was chick pandemonium!

They've been getting grit for two days now, so figured it shouldn't be wasted.

 

[OEF5]

@azygous How old are your chicks, we have had our week old chicks on grit for a few days, they have had a bit of sod and decimated it. Found two earth worms, but I've been wondering about treats and when should we try to put a roost in with them.

The did knock over the water jar yesterday and went nuts with all the wet stuff!

 

[azygous]

@azygous How old are your chicks, we have had our week old chicks on grit for a few days, they have had a bit of sod and decimated it. Found two earth worms, but I've been wondering about treats and when should we try to put a roost in with them.

The did knock over the water jar yesterday and went nuts with all the wet stuff!

Three days old today. They got their first meal worm yesterday. I'm going to dig up a hunk of sod for them today. It's good for additional grit, introducing mild pathogens into their developing immune systems, and entertainment.

These four, Thelma, Louise, Lucy, and Ethyl, are EEs and the most calm and quiet of any group of chicks I've had so far in eight years of brooding chicks. Could be they've had heat and sustenance in the past 48 hours whereas last summers chicks were in transit during this period. My experience with mail order chicks last year was not a pleasant one.