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

[mommakatx2]

Nice clean design....rack and pad wrapped in plastic wrap?
Is the pad just bare plastic too?

Put another large washer on the top of rack and it'll straighten those legs out.....probably not necessary but...

Yes it's bare plastic and then tightly wrapped to the rack with several layers of plastic wrap. This was a prototype of sorts and Blooie pointed out to me that chicks are fond of picking the plastic wrap. And yes, large washers on top were definitely an afterthought.

Here are some pics from putting it together:

 

[yakmayar]

These guys are now 4.5 weeks old. They do not spend much time under the heating pad, but they do like hanging on top of it. The weather here will be between 50 & 80F over the next couple weeks. Are they ready to go outside? The black australorps and buff orpingtons seem to be well feathered. The silkies seem to be filling out as well.

As these are our first chickens, any help is appreciated.

 

[aart]

These guys are now 4.5 weeks old. They do not spend much time under the heating pad, but they do like hanging on top of it. The weather here will be between 50 & 80F over the next couple weeks. Are they ready to go outside? The black australorps and buff orpingtons seem to be well feathered. The silkies seem to be filling out as well.

As these are our first chickens, any help is appreciated.

I would say, YES!

 

[Blooie]

Me too. Get them outside! And pat yourself on the back - good job on that first successful batch!

 

[Mr Pink]

My chicks are 2 weeks old and the MPH has now become a spring board to test new wing feathers ! One of my Buff Orpingtons I have a sneaking suspicion is a cockerel ( Chester ) and made two escape attempts just awhile ago ... I think just to show me he knew how to use his wings

 

[Molpet]

My chicks are 2 weeks old and the MPH has now become a spring board to test new wing feathers ! One of my Buff Orpingtons I have a sneaking suspicion is a cockerel ( Chester ) and made two escape attempts just awhile ago ... I think just to show me he knew how to use his wings

LOL yes I put a old door screen over the brooder to keep the cat out and shortly found I needed it to keep them in

 

[AllynTal]

My chicks are 2 weeks old and the MPH has now become a spring board to test new wing feathers ! One of my Buff Orpingtons I have a sneaking suspicion is a cockerel ( Chester ) and made two escape attempts just awhile ago ... I think just to show me he knew how to use his wings

In my first hatch using the MHP, I had chicks that would run under the MHP and out the back so they could hop up onto the top of the MHP and then run up to the front which was the high edge. They'd line themselves up with a knot of their hatchmates that were milling around on the floor of the brooder and then jump off to land right in the middle of the unsuspecting group like they were jumping into a moshpit. It wasn't a one-off thing, either. I watched the same three chicks run under, jump up and dive off like four times in a row. They were having a blast.

 

[AllynTal]

Members of my newest hatch under their MHP:


I use a piece of wire shelving and lash the heating pad to the underside, then I set it on an angle. The ceiling is straight -- I don't make a "cave" shape -- but with the frame set on an angle. it's high in the front and low in the back. That's worked well for me so far, though I tried something a little different this time. I have been lashing the heating pad firmly to the underside, but this time, I spaced the lashing a bit farther apart so a section of the ceiling sags. I watched that guy on the left do a whole Goldilocks thing looking for the perfect place to sleep. One spot was too cold, so after amoment he moved into the middle where the sag is. That spot was, I'm guessing, too hot so he moved again to the place you see there in the picture. That spot was apparently just right because he fell asleep there. Tomorrow, once all the eggs hatch that are going to hatch, they're going out to brooder in the coop. I love the MHP.

 

[bajabirdbrain]

We think our babies hatched today! Tomorrow is the scheduled shipping day. We spent all day finishing off the coop and setting up the MHP brooder. Have checked the pad out before and we think our cave is ready(hope). We plan on using the indoor brooder only long enough to ensure the health of the kids and then they go outside, gulp. Our hillbilly brooder came out of a recycling cardboard dumpster and here it is. We have both a nipple and conventional waterer. Food is in an egg carton, small roost for practicing. Only paper towels inside. We are cutting an 8" square hole in a wall and putting a plexiglass window in for the girls viewing pleasure. TBC, BB
















b

 

[SewCluck]

We will be getting our very first batch of chicks real soon. 10 chicks and 1 rooster. We will be using the mama heat pad. Thank you for all the info you have all provided. I read somewhere that press n seal is no longer being used, but now I can't find those posts. We will be keeping the brooder bix with MHP in the coop.
This is the plan, please let me know what options we have, what has worked best for you.
MHP-Sunbeam no auto shut-off wrapped in a towel, then wrapped in press n seal place a potty training pad on top. All of it on a wire cave of course.
Potty training pads for first week?? THEN switch to shavings.
Typical waterer (place marbles so chicks won't drown) and feeder with starter feed. We'll be getting our heat pad tomorrow. I hope to post pics after the set up so ya'll can give me the ok.