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

[NotAFarm]

Quote: You've received a bunch of good advice...I'll just add that I used cardboard around the dog crate I used. All the way up in back and low around the front, including on the door. I used zip ties to attach it. I would keep the crate closed until the 23rd day, at least, to give her peace while the eggs finish. She will be able to feel if there are live chicks inside the eggs. She will stay on the nest until they hatch unless something causes her to leave. If your hen is high in the flock pecking order, she will have not problem keeping the chicks safe. If she is lower in the order, you will have to keep a close eye and make adjustments based on how the flock treats the chicks.
Open the door on the crate when you see the hen up and about with the chicks and you are able to be around to see how things go.
There aren't many things that are as fun as watching a broody with her chicks......now back to Mama Heating Pad!!

 

[Shezadandy]

Ok, I will keep an eye on them. Good to know that early could happen, and will let her choose whether to eat or not without working to tempt her. I know that it's best to go to chick starter for all the birds so that the chicks don't get too much calcium. That is what I plan to do. I will do half/half today and move toward all starter by later in the week. I keep out 3 kinds of calcium (crushed oyster shell, the slivered oyster shell lining type, and crushed eggshells) plus crushed granite in the "mineral bar", but the oldest hens did not adjust well this past spring when I went to all starter for everyone when we hatched out the new batch from incubator-- they weren't used to not having adequate calcium in their food and didn't get themselves enough from the side containers. So I've really been worrying about hatching any more eggs, but now one of the new girls went broody and we want more layers so no way I would stop her. I'm just not sure what to do to ensure the older girls get their calcium.

I am very excited about having a peep squad here. I figure a natural mama is better than MHP, perhaps even less worry, but MHP is the best way for general incubation hatching or bringing in hatchlings. That's how I got to know folks here, was needing to learn MHP.

Thanks again!

Sounds like you've got things under control! Watching a broody raise chicks will give you a whole new perspective on how tough the little guys really are, especially with backup from momma- and why in the absence of a broody, so many make MHP their method of choice. I like for the flock to see how chicks scamper about- and it allows the broody to "win" challenges at first without anyone getting hurt. A lot of the time I find the chicks right against the border, scoping out what's going on with no worries. (my pen has a lid, it was off for pictures) Again, good luck, feel free to PM if you've got any more questions!

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote: Couple things I did to get them to partake of the oyster shells was to put a dozen or so pieces of it on top of their feed for a couple days.
...and put a few sunflower seeds on top of the oyster shells...seemed to do the trick as they soon were consuming it regularly.
Should mention that was in a pullet only coop, not sure how well it would work for older hens.

Aart, that's brilliant! I'll start sprinkling sunflower seeds on the mineral bar area just to get them going to it more. That's the thing, is that the new pullets from last spring are all about the mineral bar, but the older girls not so much. They are better now, but I've been afraid they would suffer again. So yes, I'll sprinkle sunflower seeds on the area and all the adults will be drawn there.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote: Thank you.

You've received a bunch of good advice...I'll just add that I used cardboard around the dog crate I used. All the way up in back and low around the front, including on the door. I used zip ties to attach it. I would keep the crate closed until the 23rd day, at least, to give her peace while the eggs finish. She will be able to feel if there are live chicks inside the eggs. She will stay on the nest until they hatch unless something causes her to leave. If your hen is high in the flock pecking order, she will have not problem keeping the chicks safe. If she is lower in the order, you will have to keep a close eye and make adjustments based on how the flock treats the chicks.
Open the door on the crate when you see the hen up and about with the chicks and you are able to be around to see how things go.
There aren't many things that are as fun as watching a broody with her chicks......now back to Mama Heating Pad!!

Yes, I don't mean to hijack the thread, but Blooie encouraged me to keep the thread posted. Her crate is up against a wall-- I do have cardboard across the back and along the exposed side, but not the door. I'll look into adding more today. This hen (her name is Blackie because she and her sister Spot are both black, born to natural/pencilled EE hens but sired by a blue Ameracauna roo, names with hens here tend toward physical characteristics so I can help differentiate them), anyway this hen is not high in the pecking order, she's only about 8 mos old, the older cohort of hens is 4yo. When I'm sitting with her, she will stop eating if higher-up hens come into the coop. But, when we did MHP in the spring, there were absolutely NO problems with roughing up, at all. I do not expect the other hens to be mean to these chicks. We have a congenial little farm, I'm happy to say.
But, you've helped me to understand that quiet and solitude will be helpful to her for the next while (duh!), so I will get more cardboard on there today, from the outside. Will not do anything inside that would disturb her. THANK YOU.

 

[aart]

..... anyway this hen is not high in the pecking order, she's only about 8 mos old, the older cohort of hens is 4yo. When I'm sitting with her, she will stop eating if higher-up hens come into the coop. But, when we did MHP in the spring, there were absolutely NO problems with roughing up, at all. I do not expect the other hens to be mean to these chicks. We have a congenial little farm, I'm happy to say.
But, you've helped me to understand that quiet and solitude will be helpful to her for the next while (duh!), so I will get more cardboard on there today, from the outside. Will not do anything inside that would disturb her. THANK YOU.

It's not the chicks they'll go after as much as the broody who's been 'out of the flock' for awhile.
My broody got into several vicious fights with other hens over the main feeder.

 

[Victoria-nola]

It's not the chicks they'll go after as much as the broody who's been 'out of the flock' for awhile.
My broody got into several vicious fights with other hens over the main feeder.

This broody has been out and about a few times during her setting time, but yes, I will watch out for that. Thanks. I didn't think of that at all.

Thank you to @Shezadandy and everyone for your help. I'll gradually remove the cardboard as the chicks and hen start to move around more. But I did put it up and she immediately relaxed more. She was not at all disturbed by me doing it, either, seemed to love it immediately.

Again, thanks all.

 

[Shezadandy]

This broody has been out and about a few times during her setting time, but yes, I will watch out for that. Thanks. I didn't think of that at all.

Thank you to @Shezadandy and everyone for your help. I'll gradually remove the cardboard as the chicks and hen start to move around more. But I did put it up and she immediately relaxed more. She was not at all disturbed by me doing it, either, seemed to love it immediately.

Again, thanks all.

You're welcome! I think a key difference I failed to notice is mine brood in the ground level boxes which are nice and dark and cozy and secluded (when the camera flash isn't lighting it up)-- so my hardware cloth pen is their meet and greet space, built off the nest box - so they have a very private nest area to run back too -- wasn't thinking about your crate being the run AND nest! Sorry bout that. Let us know how your hatch goes.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Could someone post a link to the best heating pad to use for 12 chicks? I am brand new to chickens and am expecting chicks early April, and I want to try this out!

 

[ShrekDawg]

Could someone post a link to the best heating pad to use for 12 chicks? I am brand new to chickens and am expecting chicks early April, and I want to try this out!

Either

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NZ66KU

Or

https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-731-500-Heating-UltraHeat-Technology/dp/B00075M1T6

Should be fine.

First one has more precise heat controls but both will do.

There's also a smaller version of the XPress Heat

https://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-2014-915-Xpressheat-Heating-Large/dp/B008744QM4

Although I think the big one might be best.

Besides Amazon they can also be found at CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and Target (I think), etc. Basically anywhere that sells heating pads

 

[ShrekDawg]

Should clarify by more precise heat controls I mean more options temperature wise, 6 options instead of 3, but it'll work.

The most important feature is that it does NOT have an auto shut off or you can turn off the auto shut off.