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

[10AcreChick]

So, I feel like the worst chicken mommy ever. I hatched 41 last weekend. At just a couple days old, I realized they were just too many for the dog crate brooder I had them in and too stinky for the house. I took them and their MHP outside last night to join the 4 week old chicks out in the coop brooder. Everything went great, and the older chicks are just fine having them around. But when I went to count, I realized that one of the new chicks was missing! It was one of my Easter Eggers. My husband was at home all day yesterday and swears that he doesn't know how a chick could have gotten out of the indoor brooder, but I only counted 40 when I moved them last night!

I mean, how do you LOSE a chick? Horrible! I listened for peeping in the house and looked everywhere!

 

[10AcreChick]

Quote: It's not that much warmer...worked fine for me, used it that way as the power connection was in the best position.
I agree, not warmer by much. When I was making my first MHP, I remembered Blooie saying something about the word side being the warm side, so it's always stuck in my head.

 

[HenLeia]

So, I feel like the worst chicken mommy ever. I hatched 41 last weekend. At just a couple days old, I realized they were just too many for the dog crate brooder I had them in and too stinky for the house. I took them and their MHP outside last night to join the 4 week old chicks out in the coop brooder. Everything went great, and the older chicks are just fine having them around. But when I went to count, I realized that one of the new chicks was missing! It was one of my Easter Eggers. My husband was at home all day yesterday and swears that he doesn't know how a chick could have gotten out of the indoor brooder, but I only counted 40 when I moved them last night! I mean, how do you LOSE a chick? Horrible! I listened for peeping in the house and looked everywhere!

That's upsetting and not a reflection on you at all. Are you sure you only counted 40? I have trouble keeping track of 20, they are too fast. Also check the bedding, I'm always afraid the stronger chicks will trample the little ones.

 

[10AcreChick]

Quote:
I counted the Easter Eggers twice last night and kept coming up one short. I am going to count them again this evening when I get home. And count all the others, too. I checked the bedding real good in the indoor brooder, since we still have ducks in there right now. No smashed chick, and I've had one before so I know how flat they can get.

I've got a feeling it got past the feedbags I had lined the dog crate with and got out into the house. I might find it while spring cleaning this weekend, but my husband cleaned the house today and he hasn't said he found it yet. It might have gotten cold somewhere and died, not sure. I just feel really bad.

 

[junebuggena]

A cold chick, on it's own, is a noisy chick. The distress calls are seriously LOUD! You would have heard a lost chick in the house by now.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I counted the Easter Eggers twice last night and kept coming up one short. I am going to count them again this evening when I get home.  And count all the others, too. I checked the bedding real good in the indoor brooder, since we still have ducks in there right now. No smashed chick, and I've had one before so I know how flat they can get.  I've got a feeling it got past the feedbags I had lined the dog crate with and got out into the house. I might find it while spring cleaning this weekend, but my husband cleaned the house today and he hasn't said he found it yet. It might have gotten cold somewhere and died, not sure.  I just feel really bad.

I would get a separate tub and pick each chick up counting them. I think that would be the best way. Just to be sure

 

[Molpet]

I counted the Easter Eggers twice last night and kept coming up one short. I am going to count them again this evening when I get home. And count all the others, too. I checked the bedding real good in the indoor brooder, since we still have ducks in there right now. No smashed chick, and I've had one before so I know how flat they can get.

I've got a feeling it got past the feedbags I had lined the dog crate with and got out into the house. I might find it while spring cleaning this weekend, but my husband cleaned the house today and he hasn't said he found it yet. It might have gotten cold somewhere and died, not sure. I just feel really bad.

look in the feed bags too

 

[10AcreChick]

...

 


I counted the Easter Eggers twice last night and kept coming up one short. I am going to count them again this evening when I get home.  And count all the others, too. I checked the bedding real good in the indoor brooder, since we still have ducks in there right now. No smashed chick, and I've had one before so I know how flat they can get.  I've got a feeling it got past the feedbags I had lined the dog crate with and got out into the house. I might find it while spring cleaning this weekend, but my husband cleaned the house today and he hasn't said he found it yet. It might have gotten cold somewhere and died, not sure.  I just feel really bad.

look in the feed bags too

Yep, looked between the feed bags. They arent whole, cut longwise and zip tied on. My husband was here all day that day, so he would have heard a distressed chick. I counted again tonight, the right number of BO and one EE missing. Now I'm starting to wonder if I counted right in the first place! But I did the math in my head 100 times and came up with 41 chicks hatching! Oh well.

 

[Blooie]

Um, i assume you checked between the layers of the heating pad and frame - she may have gotten stuck somewhere in the assembly itself. I've never had it happen but a few others have......

 

[smallmonster]

It seems like there should be an official post about this!

Would the BackYardChickens gods be willing to have an article in the learning center pages about Mama Heating Pad setups?

This thread is amazing but also so amazingly long that I am sure plenty of people are overwhelmed. And there really isn't anywhere else on the internet that references it, other than blogs and such that mostly point right back here.

I'm not knocking this thread - quite the opposite! - but I think a lot of people would like this method!