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

[Jensownzoo]

Are you planning on brooding frequently? I think if I would have designed it, I would have just made a removable box that hung onto the side of the tractor and connected with it via a smallish door (wire panel across it until you were ready for a panic door integration).That way the regular residents wouldn't have had to give up any of their space?

 

[Flock In Texas]

I figured they would spend their time on the roost above or the nesting buckets, but I'm a newb. Maybe I should just make the bucket and not fence it off or make the fencing and the bucket removable.

 

[FlyWheel]

Quote: [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%​

Wow. I knew dandelion was edible (and quite tasty), but I never knew it was so nutritious. At least for us.

 

[aart]

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.

Is that gonna make it out of the garage....roof looks awful close to garage door clearance(BTDT)
Also those wheels, they work great on concrete, but won't go far on grass(BTDT too).

Per your MHP....dittoing the others, heating pad needs to touch chicks backs.

 

[lazy gardener]

Wow. I knew dandelion was edible (and quite tasty), but I never knew it was so nutritious. At least for us.

Yep, pretty tasty also, if you pick them early enough in the season, before any buds open. Rinse well several times, (I like to soak them for several hours) bring to a boil, toss the first boil water, and boil or stir fry until tender. Even better when cooked with a bit of bacon fat. Super yummy with ACV.

 

[aart]

Quote: EVERYTHING is good when cooked in bacon fat...hahaha!

 

[aquafarmerri]

Thanks for sharing! Love it!!

 

[ccrow]

Things have been going well... I cut the little doors for the chicks to go in and out, bought feed for everybody and replaced the layer feed; everything has seemed fine, now today I found one of my chicks dead under the coop with one puncture wound at the base of the neck/front of the breast. I'm really bummed.

I've seen various of the older birds chase the little ones a bit, but nothing serious. The chicks are 7 weeks old and too big to be crammed into the brooder area all the time. I think the dead one may have gotten herself trapped, she was in a corner next to one of the supports for the coop, but that one wound is the only mark on her. Ugh... stupid chickens. I don't know of anything I can do differently, so I guess I'll just have to try to watch and try to see if one of the older birds is being nasty....

 

[Blooie]

Things have been going well... I cut the little doors for the chicks to go in and out, bought feed for everybody and replaced the layer feed; everything has seemed fine, now today I found one of my chicks dead under the coop with one puncture wound at the base of the neck/front of the breast. I'm really bummed.

I've seen various of the older birds chase the little ones a bit, but nothing serious. The chicks are 7 weeks old and too big to be crammed into the brooder area all the time. I think the dead one may have gotten herself trapped, she was in a corner next to one of the supports for the coop, but that one wound is the only mark on her. Ugh... stupid chickens. I don't know of anything I can do differently, so I guess I'll just have to try to watch and try to see if one of the older birds is being nasty....

I'm sorry you lost a chick. I think at this point watching and trying to catch a culprit in the act (if indeed there is a culprit in the flock) is your best bet. Lots of people say that getting brand new chicks and those first critical days are the most stressful. I tend to think that sneaky integration issues that crop from time to time - even when we think we've gotten past that - are even harder to deal with.

 

[lazy gardener]

I wouldn't be so sure that the injury was caused by a flock mate. Could be a predator. I'm thinking rat, weasel.