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

[aart]

If the chicks can touch their backs to the pad, they will be much less likely to pile.
It's not about insulation, but contact with the pad.

 

[Tika75]

This is just temporary. I'm at the office and they are with me. My babies arrived this morning and I had to run to the dollar store for a heating pad, shelf & towel. I lift it up and there they are! LOL

 

[bluejean55girl]

If the chicks can touch their backs to the pad, they will be much less likely to pile.
It's not about insulation, but contact with the pad.

x2

 

[Tika75]

Hey I was in a hurry this morning and just grabbed the heating pad they had at Dollar General. Since it is a "moist heat" heating pad I was thinking it might be better if it gets a little damp.Anyway I'm reading the booklet and it doesn't have an automatic shutoff. This one is only $11.95 at my store. Here's the info for anyone looking for one that doesn't shut off.

Conair --- Body Benefits --- Moist Heat Heating Pad

http://www.dollargeneral.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12579398

 

[aart]

Hey I was in a hurry this morning and just grabbed the heating pad they had at Dollar General. Since it is a "moist heat" heating pad I was thinking it might be better if it gets a little damp.Anyway I'm reading the booklet and it doesn't have an automatic shutoff. This one is only $11.95 at my store. Here's the info for anyone looking for one that doesn't shut off.

Conair --- Body Benefits --- Moist Heat Heating Pad

http://www.dollargeneral.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12579398

Moist is for people, not chicks....but might mean you can wash it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
I "think" she meant that if it got damp at all while the chicks were using it that it would be safer than one that isn't meant for moist heat. And little "poos" may not be as hard on it since it can take the moist.

 

[Tika75]

I "think" she meant that if it got damp at all while the chicks were using it that it would be safer than one that isn't meant for moist heat. And little "poos" may not be as hard on it since it can take the moist.

Yes, that is what I meant. My keyboard was being a pain and didn't want to type correctly.

Anyway... it says you can take the sponge part and dampen it for moist heat. I figured that since it is okay to get that damp then if they do poo on it or somehow knock their water over it would be safer for them.

 

[FlyWheel]

I want to weigh in re: age of integration. When I first joined BYC, I followed the party line: NEVER integrate chicks into the flock until they are as big as the adults... or almost so. 12 weeks was given as the golden standard. So, that's what I did. Integration went ok. Nothing spectacular. Then, MHP entered the scene, along with the increased ease of brooding chicks in the coop. Many of us found that integration went MUCH better when integrating youngsters... (my preference is to integrate between 3 and 6 weeks of age, and the more chicks being integrated, the easier it is) These littles are no where near being sexually mature, and therefore are not considered a threat to the pecking order. They are small enough that they aren't considered any kind of threat. Many of the hens respond to them the way they would to a pesky fly. And the littles are small enough that they can run circles around the older birds.

Re: feed: If calcium in layer feed were an issue, many of us would have chicks dropping dead. Or our hens would not survive to become healthy geriatric hens. And, what about the roosters who all live their whole lives on layer feed. How often do you see a sick rooster? As far as calcium goes, I venture to make an extremely uneducated guess that there is a heavy load of calcium in the diet of any chicken of any age who gets any amount of free range time. Many greens are very high in calcium. Ever seen a chicken chowing down on soil? Gotta be a fair amount of calcium there also. Bugs? Bet those tough exoskeletons are also loaded with it. That being the case, why is it that free range chickens are more healthy??? My preference when raising chicks is to switch the whole flock over to a multi flock feed (with oyster shell and egg shells on the side). If that's not available, I would choose grower. The ONLY reason that I EVER purchase layer feed is b/c it is less expensive.

Actually insect exoskeletons are primarily composed of chitin, a form of glucosamine not too different than the keratin that makes up your hair and fingernails, AFAIK there is little to no calcium in it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin

I don't know what the red clay in my area is composed of (probably silicon dioxide). and while there may be calcium in greens, it is nowhere near the concentrations found in the enriched feed I am giving to the layers.

The chicks aren't going to be sexually mature until they start laying anyway, right? As this usually occurs sometime around their 21st week of age that gives me until almost September! I'll give them a week or two to get used to their surroundings and let their elders get used to their presence, then try letting them de facto mingle with the others. Currently both can easily (and safely) observe the other so they can get to know each other first. That way the chicks will not be as surprised by the sudden appearance of Yet More Big Strange Things



And I have sized the coop 'door' to their portion of the coop so that theoretically they can easily get in and out but it would be difficult for a full grown chicken to squeeze through. Hopefully this will provide them with an adult-resistant safe zone.


I still have a couple of weeks worth of grower crumbles, and I couldn't find any all-purpose feed, just layer, scratch and chick grow, So why not use it up and let everyone enjoy the best nutritiously balanced diet for their individual needs for a while? both hens are currently giving me 6-7 eggs a week, so they need that extra calcium.

In the past I have integrated 'outsider' babies with the rest of the flock once they were about half size. judging from the rate they are growing that will be in about a week or two anyway.

 

[aart]

Quote: Just wanted to be sure.

 

[dpenning]

Actually insect exoskeletons are primarily composed of chitin, a form of glucosamine not too different than the keratin that makes up your hair and fingernails, AFAIK there is little to no calcium in it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chitin

I don't know what the red clay in my area is composed of (probably silicon dioxide). and while there may be calcium in greens, it is nowhere near the concentrations found in the enriched feed I am giving to the layers.

The chicks aren't going to be sexually mature until they start laying anyway, right? As this usually occurs sometime around their 21st week of age that gives me until almost September! I'll give them a week or two to get used to their surroundings and let their elders get used to their presence, then try letting them de facto mingle with the others. Currently both can easily (and safely) observe the other so they can get to know each other first. That way the chicks will not be as surprised by the sudden appearance of Yet More Big Strange Things



And I have sized the coop 'door' to their portion of the coop so that theoretically they can easily get in and out but it would be difficult for a full grown chicken to squeeze through. Hopefully this will provide them with an adult-resistant safe zone.


I still have a couple of weeks worth of grower crumbles, and I couldn't find any all-purpose feed, just layer, scratch and chick grow, So why not use it up and let everyone enjoy the best nutritiously balanced diet for their individual needs for a while? both hens are currently giving me 6-7 eggs a week, so they need that extra calcium.

In the past I have integrated 'outsider' babies with the rest of the flock once they were about half size. judging from the rate they are growing that will be in about a week or two anyway.