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

[bruceha2000]

The only feed that isn't safe for all ages, stages, and genders is layer. Layer is for actively laying birds only, due to the high levels of calcium. Starter and grower are fine for everybody to eat. You just need to have some crushed oyster shell available for those that need it.

Except that my June 2015 chicks stopped eating their starter when they were < 1 month old and were eating the layer feed from the hanging feeder. So what is a guy to do? The older birds were laying. Min calcium 3.7%, max 4.5%. Can't see that it did them any harm. They started hitting the oyster shell a week or 2 before they started laying. I ended up dumping the rest of the starter into the bin with the layer since no one was eating it in the brooder area.

Hey someone has a new avatar! Looking good @Blooie !

 

[lazy gardener]

Except that my June 2015 chicks stopped eating their starter when they were < 1 month old and were eating the layer feed from the hanging feeder. So what is a guy to do? The older birds were laying. Min calcium 3.7%, max 4.5%. Can't see that it did them any harm. They started hitting the oyster shell a week or 2 before they started laying. I ended up dumping the rest of the starter into the bin with the layer since no one was eating it in the brooder area.

Hey someone has a new avatar! Looking good @Blooie !

Bruce, IMO, if calcium is such a concern for non laying birds, they should not be allowed to free range. Dandelion is only one of the very dangerous plants in the common lawn that will surely cause non laying birds to go into renal failure.


[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Dandelion
Plant
Taraxacum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which consists of species commonly known as dandelion. Wikipedia[/COLOR]
Nutrition Facts
Dandelion greens, raw
Amount Per 1 cup, chopped (55 g)
Calories 25

% Daily Value*​

Total Fat 0.4 g

0%​

Saturated fat 0.1 g

0%​

Polyunsaturated fat 0.2 g

​

Monounsaturated fat 0 g

​

Cholesterol 0 mg

0%​

Sodium 42 mg

1%​

Potassium 218 mg

6%​

Total Carbohydrate 5 g

1%​

Dietary fiber 1.9 g

7%​

Sugar 0.4 g

​

Protein 1.5 g

3%​

Vitamin A

111%​

Vitamin C

32%​

Calcium

10%​

Iron

9%​

Vitamin D

0%​

Vitamin B-6

5%​

Vitamin B-12

0%​

Magnesium

5%​

 

[Blooie]

Thanks, LG - I'm waiting to see if it grows on me...if not, it's history!

 

[junebuggena]

Except that my June 2015 chicks stopped eating their starter when they were < 1 month old and were eating the layer feed from the hanging feeder. So what is a guy to do? The older birds were laying. Min calcium 3.7%, max 4.5%. Can't see that it did them any harm. They started hitting the oyster shell a week or 2 before they started laying. I ended up dumping the rest of the starter into the bin with the layer since no one was eating it in the brooder area.

Hey someone has a new avatar! Looking good @Blooie !

When you have a flock of mixed ages, the best and safest approach is to remove all layer feed. That much calcium is very hard on growing chicks. You don't see any harm done. But chickens can seem perfectly fine even when 2/3 of their kidneys are non functional. Once that last portion fails, death happens fast.

 

[bruceha2000]

Could be that since my birds DO free range and "mama" Zorra had the girls out showing them what to eat at about 3 weeks old, maybe they weren't eating all that much layer anyway. I swear I feed a lot more layer to wild birds and @#$% woodchucks than I do my chickens. The older girls were raised on grower since they were the first chickens I had so no need for layer until they were 5+ months old.

Hey @Blooie I'm offended

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks, LG - I'm waiting to see if it grows on me...if not, it's history!

Hey @Blooie I'm offended

Why should you be offended? great minds think alike. Yeah, it's gonna grow on her. When it's quiet at my house, I can hear my hair growing.

 

[Flock In Texas]

OK. I am subscribing to this thread. I'm building a 4"x8" tractor and I am thinking about including a 2"x3" brooding section. I am using nesting "buckets" for the older ladies and I thought I might carry the theme over to MHP. Would it work to create a frame and put the heating pad about 6-8 inches above the bucket base and cut the opening large enough to allow the chicks to get under MHP or on top of MHP in the top half of the bucket. I am 2-3 weeks from completing the coop and suspect night time temps will be in the 40s by then

I have an IR heat sensor and can fine tune the temp below and above MHP. What are my target temps? Will my bucket idea work or do you see a problem with it? Also, what size opening do I need between the brooding area and the rest of the coop? It won't matter when I get my first chicks, but for the second batch I don't wont the older ladies to be able to get into the brooding area.

 

[azygous]

A bucket MHP? Sorry, for the life of me, I can't picture what you're trying to describe.

The reason we all use a flexible wire frame for MHP is because the baby chicks need direct contact with the heating pad during the first two weeks at least. Also, they double in size each week so the frame needs constant adjustment to accommodate their growth.

If you can meet those requirements with a bucket, go for it.

 

[Beekissed]

Agreed, though I think I get a picture of what is being proposed, there is no target temps above or below the HP...there is only what level of heat the pad is on that the chicks need at any given time. You'll know if they are comfortable by their actions...hanging out of the brooder frame all the time? Too hot, turn the pad down. Underneath all the time? Too cold, turn it up and/or lower the frame to come in contact with their backs.

 

[Flock In Texas]

I'm getting rid of the fill tubes for the water and feed and installing poop boards above the buckets. The middle bucket is where I want to mount the brooder bucket. There will be an adjustable wire frame mid level in the bucket to support MHP. Chicks can nestle in the bedding material below the pad or sit in the upper level of the bucket. The outside walls are installed and I will install chicken wire to isolate the area under the poop board and between the feed and water buckets as a brooding area. Doors will be on the ends for cleaning and maintenance.

Here is the other end of the coop where the nesting buckets will be and poop boards installed. 16-20 feet of roost will be above.