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

[WyoJax]

Sorry about my absence. All extra time has been focused on my vegetable garden. Thank you all again. My girls are officially graduated and in their chicken mansion. Two of my girls will go to their forever home tomorrow as I was just surrogate brooding.
Now...I am seriously considering ordering three more. My husband is going to kill me lol.

 

[saraem]

My goodness [@azygous[/@] those chicks are too cute! Are they wellsummers? And something else?

Free-ranging adventures for today...DH and I were cutting some wood for finishing touches on the coop on the side of the house and all the chicks run over. They normally check in now and then so no big deal...until a minute later when he goes to grab something from the shed and sees a big cat in our yard! They normally don't come in our yard but the dog was inside napping with my daughter.

Cats (we are talking well fed house cats here) won't go after an adult chicken, right?

I feel pretty torn about the free ranging stuff right now. I mean, I obviously don't want to lose any chickens but I also don't want to keep them locked up all the time. I guess the happy medium is that we do what we do now, only let them out when we are in the yard or in and out of the house with the dog outside?

 

[csneill]

My goodness [@azygous[/@] those chicks are too cute! Are they wellsummers? And something else?

Free-ranging adventures for today...DH and I were cutting some wood for finishing touches on the coop on the side of the house and all the chicks run over. They normally check in now and then so no big deal...until a minute later when he goes to grab something from the shed and sees a big cat in our yard! They normally don't come in our yard but the dog was inside napping with my daughter.

Cats (we are talking well fed house cats here) won't go after an adult chicken, right?

I feel pretty torn about the free ranging stuff right now. I mean, I obviously don't want to lose any chickens but I also don't want to keep them locked up all the time. I guess the happy medium is that we do what we do now, only let them out when we are in the yard or in and out of the house with the dog outside?

My cat would rather starve than demean herself to actually have to chase down & catch a meal! Honestly she wanders in & out of the coop & run w me & never looks twice at my hens. I would trust my cat 1000x over my mini daschund w my chickens!

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

My goodness [@azygous[/@] those chicks are too cute! Are they wellsummers? And something else?

Free-ranging adventures for today...DH and I were cutting some wood for finishing touches on the coop on the side of the house and all the chicks run over. They normally check in now and then so no big deal...until a minute later when he goes to grab something from the shed and sees a big cat in our yard! They normally don't come in our yard but the dog was inside napping with my daughter.

Cats (we are talking well fed house cats here) won't go after an adult chicken, right?

I feel pretty torn about the free ranging stuff right now. I mean, I obviously don't want to lose any chickens but I also don't want to keep them locked up all the time. I guess the happy medium is that we do what we do now, only let them out when we are in the yard or in and out of the house with the dog outside?

No house cats are unlikely to go after a full grown chicken. I say this with confidence because my mostly feral farm cats do not try to tango with a full grown hen, my chicks they decimated, but a full grown standard sized hen has little to worry about from a cat.
I free range. I have lost 2 hens so far (not counting the chick massacre). One was to I assume a hawk the other to the neighbors dog.

 

[bruceha2000]

Relax...even if they do touch the heating pad they'll be fine. Mama Hen's body temp is over 100 - most people report the temp of the pad directly is about 100. So they won't get burned like they would if they came into direct contact with a heat lamp bulb.

I think people keep forgetting that these are the SAME heating pads we happily put on our own sore bodies. Chicks coming into direct contact with the pad IS the desired activity.

 

[dyorto]

My goodness [@azygous[/@] those chicks are too cute! Are they wellsummers? And something else?

Free-ranging adventures for today...DH and I were cutting some wood for finishing touches on the coop on the side of the house and all the chicks run over. They normally check in now and then so no big deal...until a minute later when he goes to grab something from the shed and sees a big cat in our yard! They normally don't come in our yard but the dog was inside napping with my daughter.

Cats (we are talking well fed house cats here) won't go after an adult chicken, right?

I feel pretty torn about the free ranging stuff right now. I mean, I obviously don't want to lose any chickens but I also don't want to keep them locked up all the time. I guess the happy medium is that we do what we do now, only let them out when we are in the yard or in and out of the house with the dog outside?

My cat goes into the fenced area and hangs out with the chickens. They seem to tolerate the cat most of the time and then they all gang up and chase her out.

 

[Beekissed]

My goodness [@azygous[/@] those chicks are too cute! Are they wellsummers? And something else?

Free-ranging adventures for today...DH and I were cutting some wood for finishing touches on the coop on the side of the house and all the chicks run over. They normally check in now and then so no big deal...until a minute later when he goes to grab something from the shed and sees a big cat in our yard! They normally don't come in our yard but the dog was inside napping with my daughter.

Cats (we are talking well fed house cats here) won't go after an adult chicken, right?

I feel pretty torn about the free ranging stuff right now. I mean, I obviously don't want to lose any chickens but I also don't want to keep them locked up all the time. I guess the happy medium is that we do what we do now, only let them out when we are in the yard or in and out of the house with the dog outside?

This article on successful free ranging may help you work it out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/bees-key-points-to-successful-and-safe-free-ranging

 

[Beekissed]

I think people keep forgetting that these are the SAME heating pads we happily put on our own sore bodies. Chicks coming into direct contact with the pad IS the desired activity.

Agreed! The heating pad won't burn the chick at all, no more than it will burn a person. The chick is free too move away from the pad if they become overly hot under the brooder frame.

 

[azygous]

In answer to those who've asked, my four chicks, Lucy, Ethyl, Thelma, and Louise are all Easter Eggers. They are just now beginning to get little powder puffs on their cheeks.

 

[Jensownzoo]

Here are a few chicks enjoying the brand new suspended MHP that I made last night. There are exits all around and the height is adjustable by just adjusting the rope. Eventually the rope will be replaced by classier chain, but the rope was lying around...

The goslings, however, are currently using it as a swing...

The ducklings are starting to get the idea though.