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

[Smuvers Farm]

Woke up this morning with a dead heating pad in the ChickieCave.

As it was a purchase made in early 2014, I'm not really mad. Plus, all the FlufferButters seem to be fine.

The cord works but I think the pad itself burnt out. Ordered a replacement pad, and bought an XXL Sunbeam through Amazon, but both of those won't be in until Wednesday at the earliest. SO, we have one of our auto shut off pads in the ChickieCave. Gonna have to turn it on every 2 hours!

OH, and we put the FlufferButters into a new, bigger brooder.

 

[debid]

Woke up this morning with a dead heating pad in the ChickieCave. 

As it was a purchase made in early 2014, I'm not really mad.  Plus, all the FlufferButters seem to be fine.

The cord works but I think the pad itself burnt out.  Ordered a replacement pad, and bought an XXL Sunbeam through Amazon, but both of those won't be in until Wednesday at the earliest.  SO, we have one of our auto shut off pads in the ChickieCave.  Gonna have to turn it on every 2 hours! 

Oh no! I think I'd pay the $10 more to get one today at Target. Every 2 hours will get really old fast.

 

[ImportTheBest]

Okay ladies, forgive me, I read as much as I could and searched the thread but I couldn't find the answer to my only concern:

My big concern is the singed and melted controllers that show on the Amazon reviews for everyone's favorite heat pad. To me that's a red flag for fire danger. Right now I'm testing the heat lamp because I can't have nothing when the chicks arrive, but I really want to switch to something safer asap as this is in our attached garage.

How do you avoid the controller overheating on something that wasn't designed to stay on for weeks at a time? I'm trying to decide between this and a $79 brooder plate from premier 1.

Help a worried mama out!

 

[yakmayar]

Wow. I had no idea that silkie meat was a thing since they are so tiny. We plan on eventually getting meat out of our buff orpingtons and black australorps once we decide their egg laying has declined enough, but I could not imagine those fluffy guys being desired.

I live in Raleigh, NC. It seems like there are few/no people in our area that sell anything besides chicks consistently. I plan on posting on Craigslist at 4 weeks and selling the extras once we have an idea of sex. My school has a lot of chickens, so the teacher said I could always bring extras there if we run out of space/time.

 

[debid]

Okay ladies, forgive me, I read as much as I could and searched the thread but I couldn't find the answer to my only concern:

My big concern is the singed and melted controllers that show on the Amazon reviews for everyone's favorite heat pad. To me that's a red flag for fire danger. Right now I'm testing the heat lamp because I can't have nothing when the chicks arrive, but I really want to switch to something safer asap as this is in our attached garage.

How do you avoid the controller overheating on something that wasn't designed to stay on for weeks at a time? I'm trying to decide between this and a $79 brooder plate from premier 1.

Help a worried mama out!

I got the cheap slide controlled model. I didn't see complaints about it melting and it has a lot of wildlife rehabilitation fans so I take this as a good sign.

 

[junebuggena]

Okay ladies, forgive me, I read as much as I could and searched the thread but I couldn't find the answer to my only concern:

My big concern is the singed and melted controllers that show on the Amazon reviews for everyone's favorite heat pad. To me that's a red flag for fire danger. Right now I'm testing the heat lamp because I can't have nothing when the chicks arrive, but I really want to switch to something safer asap as this is in our attached garage.

How do you avoid the controller overheating on something that wasn't designed to stay on for weeks at a time? I'm trying to decide between this and a $79 brooder plate from premier 1.

Help a worried mama out!

As with using any warming device, cords and components should be checked regularly. Heating pads are still much safer and less of a fire hazard than heat lamps. There is also less chance of overheating your chicks.

 

[casportpony]

Okay ladies, forgive me, I read as much as I could and searched the thread but I couldn't find the answer to my only concern:

My big concern is the singed and melted controllers that show on the Amazon reviews for everyone's favorite heat pad. To me that's a red flag for fire danger. Right now I'm testing the heat lamp because I can't have nothing when the chicks arrive, but I really want to switch to something safer asap as this is in our attached garage.

How do you avoid the controller overheating on something that wasn't designed to stay on for weeks at a time? I'm trying to decide between this and a $79 brooder plate from premier 1.

Help a worried mama out!

There will always be a risk of something like that happening, even with a premier plate. Look at the premier link, it actually says "less of a fire risk", it does not say zero fire risk. How many Sunbeam pads have been sold vs how many have failed that way? I'm gonna guess that it's a very small percentage that have failed like that.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Wow. I had no idea that silkie meat was a thing since they are so tiny. We plan on eventually getting meat out of our buff orpingtons and black australorps once we decide their egg laying has declined enough, but I could not imagine those fluffy guys being desired.

I live in Raleigh, NC. It seems like there are few/no people in our area that sell anything besides chicks consistently. I plan on posting on Craigslist at 4 weeks and selling the extras once we have an idea of sex. My school has a lot of chickens, so the teacher said I could always bring extras there if we run out of space/time.

I don't keep silkies, but the majority of my "home-grown" chicken meat comes from bantams, since that is what I mainly keep. Before I butchered my first batch, I was unsure it was even worth it until someone pointed out that people eat quail and dove and such and those are much tinier.

I don't think I would have an issue with the black silkie meat if it were in a soup. I can't imagine it tasting any different from any other chicken, though.

 

[perchie.girl]

In many cultures Black meat chickens are used for celebration and considered medicinal.

some its just the skin in others its complete Melanism down to the bones.

deb

 

[snow5164]

How do you avoid the controller overheating on something that wasn't designed to stay on for weeks at a time? I'm trying to decide between this and a $79 brooder plate from premier 1.

Hi,
I love my brinsea chick heater plate, so do my chicks , uses less electricity. The one for 20 actually fits 10-12.
You could put in gfi outlets to be safer,ground fault outlets like you should have in the bathroom will shut the electricity off when a surge or fault is detected.....
Also covered outlets are a good idea for dust , like on your outside outlets

That's all we have in our coop