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

[Beekissed]

The chicks were fine this morning, but I must admit the one thing I don't like about the MHP is that I can't observe them when they are under there. They all came out for a few minutes but then they went right back under. The coop is at 62 right now I just stuck a thermometer under the MHP because I am curious what the temp is under it. I'm sure I will relax in a couple days.

The only problem with that is that the HP is a contact heater, not a radiant heater, so you'll have to have your thermometer right up against the HP in order to get an accurate temp on what the chicks are experiencing. The HP should be in contact with their backs.

I started with the lamp just checked on them and they were huddled by the water (sun was shining in that and it was warm and chirping loudly. I just switched them to the pad and they are so quiet. I checked on them cause they were so quiet. All sleeping under the pad. I didn't get the five setting model just a regular sunbeam. theyll let me know it's too hot right?

Does your HP have an override on the automatic shutoff of 2 hrs time? If not, you'll want to switch to one that has that override. If you have no way to adjust the heat you'll have to be pretty vigilant about how high or low the HP is positioned in order to keep them adequately warm or cool enough.

 

[jeapa]

The only problem with that is that the HP is a contact heater, not a radiant heater, so you'll have to have your thermometer right up against the HP in order to get an accurate temp on what the chicks are experiencing.  The HP should be in contact with their backs. 

You are right Beekissed. The temp directly under the pad was 85 so I know it was warmer on the pad. I was observing the chicks for quite a while this afternoon and they all seem great so I'm gonna stop worrying. Thank you.

 

[GardenNut]

So I'm already thinking about ordering chicks and ducklings in Spring 2017. How early do folks order for March-April delivery? I know Spring is a huge rush, so I'm thinking order in January? I've never mail-ordered chicks before, so I thought I'd pose the question to those with experience!

 

[Jensownzoo]

If you know what you want and when you want them, order as soon as it is possible to order. Some of the rarer breeds go really fast!

 

[lazy gardener]

Order just as soon as the hatcheries start accepting orders. That way, you can lock in the breeds you want for the delivery date you want.

 

[bruceha2000]

Order just as soon as the hatcheries start accepting orders. That way, you can lock in the breeds you want for the delivery date you want.

Yes but ....

The chicks I ordered from Meyer last year came on schedule. Might have helped that I had a broody hen and wanted them ASAP. The chicks I ordered from Ideal in 2012 came 2 weeks early. I ordered in early May specifying the 3rd week of June so I would have time to get the coop done. No dice, the order showed the right dates. I guess they had an abundance of what I wanted and shipped early. I found out when I got an email saying they had shipped.

and

Don't know how often that happens or with which hatcheries.

 

[GardenNut]

O

Yes but .... 

The chicks I ordered from Meyer last year came on schedule. Might have helped that I had a broody hen and wanted them ASAP. The chicks I ordered from Ideal in 2012 came 2 weeks early. I ordered in early May specifying the 3rd week of June so I would have time to get the coop done. No dice, the order showed the right dates. I guess they had an abundance of what I wanted and shipped early. I found out when I got an email saying they had shipped.   and e

Don't know how often that happens or with which hatcheries. 

Oh my! My biggest issue will be a small order probably. An order of 20+ chicks is way more than I need. I'd like 6-10 more at most. Hoping for a Mille Fleur or two as well, just because they're so cute! A Lavender Orpington or two to go with my current BOs would be nice too, along with a speckled Sussex, black australop, and goodness knows what other chicken math additions I'll come up with by Spring! And with my new, bigger coop I'm working on, I'll be able to use MHP in the coop, separated from the bigs of course, rather than in the house! Still thinking about the ducklings! If the order comes early, I think I'll be ok. I'm more concerned with being able to get what I want. Good points to consider @Jensownzoo and @bruceha2000! I'm so grateful for BYC!

 

[bruceha2000]

Check their shipping policies. Many hatcheries will ship in smaller numbers once the ambient temps gets higher.

Definitely start checking NOW for breeds carried by the hatcheries you might use. They don't all carry all the breeds you may want and you sure don't want to order from multiple hatcheries. The shipping would be very prohibitive.


Hi Blooie, I see you peeking in here

 

[Blooie]

Yep, I was Bruce, but I was on my phone on the way home from Cody (Ken was driving, not me) so I usually look in but have a hard time typing any responses on that little phone!

I placed my first mail order with My Pet Chicken in December....specified the date I wanted them and they were right on time plus I was able to get the breeds I wanted. Same thing in 2015 and then this year. Hope that helps some.

I guess I'm a badder chicken mama than most. I don't need to look on them every 15 minutes to make sure they are alright so it's Mama Heating Pad from the get-go. I'd rather give them lots of time to settle in, get used to fending for themselves (more or less) and be as undisturbed as possible. So I'm content to lift a corner of the cave in the morning to check them when they first get up, and then when I refill feeders. That suffices for me. Of course I always make sure that at night when it's dark, everyone made it under the pad for the night too. I only checked the temperature under there once in the very beginning in answer to a question about it, and then didn't ever do it again. They are very good at telling me what they need by their behavior, so any extra fussing is just not up my alley. Have yet to lose a chick or have one get sick, but I'm sure as hard as chicks try to check out of this old world that day is coming. Chicks are lost under heat lamps and broody hens too, so although I never want it to happen, I'm pretty prepared if it does. Sounds cold, doesn't it? Heck I did the paronoid-over-every-little-squeak thing the first year I had chicks, and found out that I had stopped just enjoying them about 2 weeks into my first batch. Heat lamp, and by the book. Lost 3 chicks. <sigh>

 

[Little Fuzzy]

My nephew is an auto mechanic and he had this hand held device that used a laser to measure the temperature of anything. It looked like a small squirt gun, you pointed the laser dot at any inanimate object or at the baby chick and it gave you the reading of the temp. At first I was wary so I checked with regular thermometer at same time and it was right on. I was using the heat lamp method at the time, next time I will try the Mama Heating pad method.