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

[AutumnHens]

3 Barred Plymouth Rock, 2 RIR, 3 EE, 2 Buff Brahma, 1 Blue Splash Maran, 1 BO, 1 Lavender Orrington, 1 Blue Americauna, 1 Austta White, and a brown mystery chicken

 

[junebuggena]

What do you have supporting that heating pad? And bricks aren't very adjustable...

 

[AutumnHens]

License plates and i have enough bricks, or wire to adjust it if need be. For right now it appears to be workng well.

 

[chonsey]

Love the brick & license plate combo.
I was running in and out the garage, looking in closets. Finally found a wire shelf unit and used that. Here's my lil heating pad cave:

 

[chonsey]

 

[chonsey]

 

[Blooie]

I have be honest and say that I worry a little bit when I see the pads up so high....for the best results with MHP the pad needs to make contact with their backs more. If your pad isn't that low, but it's working for you, then go ahead and stick with what's working. But it's that time of year when folks are planning new chicks and might be looking into MHP for the first time, and I felt like I had to make that point.

Loving the chick pictures and getting antsy now for chicks around here.....I keep reminding myself that they don't stay chicks and I need to watch the chicken math, but doggone it, these adorable pictures just get that chick fever going.......

 

[tomphot]

I have be honest and say that I worry a little bit when I see the pads up so high....for the best results with MHP the pad needs to make contact with their backs more.  If your pad isn't that low, but it's working for you, then go ahead and stick with what's working.  

The pic your referring to looks like a coated dish rack with legs. I used the same thing, what I did to keep it from being too high was cut the legs on one end to give the whole cave a slope. That way as the chicks got taller, they could move to towards the front.

 

[Blooie]

Mine was also taller in the front than in the back. Of course, I use more of a "cave" so mine is totally enclosed. Lots of folks on here are now keeping theirs open front and back so that chicks don't get trapped at the back. It's still cold here during spring chick season, and I brood outdoors from the start, so I had to weigh the risks vs the benefits. For me, keeping that cave-type configuration was still my best option. Cutting the legs off the rack is a good idea.

 

[aart]

I have be honest and say that I worry a little bit when I see the pads up so high....for the best results with MHP the pad needs to make contact with their backs more. If your pad isn't that low, but it's working for you, then go ahead and stick with what's working. But it's that time of year when folks are planning new chicks and might be looking into MHP for the first time, and I felt like I had to make that point.

Me too...adjustable legs work very well for me...but if you can't adjust the height of the pad,
then you need to raise the floor underneath with a piece of lumber or something solid that lets them easily put their backs against the pad.