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

[Blooie]

Hi everyone any advice on my mhp. Do i need to lower it somemore? Im going to put a pillow case around the whole thing. It will be in a brooder with shavings. Thanks i look forward to your advice and tips.

If you can lower it you really should. They need that heat right at the level of their backs for it be most effective. If you can't lower it, you can build the shavings up under it until they are higher directly under it, but expect the little stinkers to flatten it and kick some of it out! I get lots of good people on the MHP thread, but very few chicks ever stop by and read the instructions, doggone them!

 

[chickensarenew]

I did read but I'm not sure of the height of chick's as I have never had any. I can lower it more was just wondering if I had the right idea.

 

[Blooie]

I did read but I'm not sure of the height of chick's as I have never had any. I can lower it more was just wondering if I had the right idea.

Oh, I know YOU did...I was referring to the pesky chicks who don't bother to read so they know what we want them to do and when we want them to do it!.

You absolutely have the right idea...it looks great. You could set it in your brooder on some shavings, get it all ready, and then when they get here you'll have a much better idea of how much to smoosh it or how much to build it up if that's what you need to do. You've got this!!

 

[eggfooyoung]

Not sure if anyone can help, but my chicks (2 - 3 weeks old) haven't been using the MHP at all now. They won't go under it anymore. I've raised it, I've turned the heat down (it's been getting into the 80's some days now here in Raleigh but in the 40's-50's at night), and they still won't use it. I *know* it's cold enough at night (in my house) for them to probably want to use it, but they don't. I keep being told by people that they're not sleeping under it because there's something they aren't liking about it. They've also told me that the room is probably warm enough and that's why they don't sleep in it (maybe 62-65 at night in that room?). They will sleep next to it, on top of it, and sometimes on the other side of the brooder and not even close to it. They used to sleep under it just fine. I'm at a total loss, and I'm ready to go out and buy a dangerous heat lamp because I've already lost 2 chicks (had nothing to do with the heat, they came to me sick) and I've got 3 replacements and don't want to lose them too. There are 7 chicks in total. Please, if anyone has any advice, I'm all ears.... Thank you!

 

[chickensarenew]

Oh, I know YOU did...I was referring to the pesky chicks who don't bother to read so they know what we want them to do and when we want them to do it!.  


You absolutely have the right idea...it looks great.  You could set it in your brooder on some shavings, get it all ready, and then when they get here you'll have a much better idea of how much to smoosh it or how much to build it up if that's what you need to do.  You've got this!!  

Oh thanks you lol I'm trying so hard to do this right. And yes you would think animals and babies would read the manual so they knew what they were supposed to do lol. I have my little brooder ready to go so when I leave my parents I will set everything up inside. 3 weeks until they arrive.

Can you tell I'm getting excited. I'm more excited then my 5 year old daughter lol.

 

[Blooie]

They are telling you they're outgrowing the need for it! This is a GOOD thing..... it's just the self sufficiency we are trying to help them achieve. By 2 and 3 week old, even brooded outdoors, miy chicks spend more time out of it than in it. Mine are also totally off all heat and the brooder is removed from the run by the time they are 4 weeks old, and it's still in the twenties and thirties out there....it's often in the teens and twenties when I put them out at a few days old, but this year has been unusually warm by our normal April standards!

By this age they wouldn't all fit under a broody hen either, so it sounds like you've done everything spot on and they are very good at self-regulating! They are used to the cooler temperatures of the ambient air and they prefer it. Since we aren't sitting at the brooder with our eyes glued to it 24/7, they could well be sneaking quick warm-ups from time to time that you don't even see. The new little ones will be a different story. Sound to me like you've done a great job! I'm sorry about the ones you lost...this was a devastating shipment for me as well, which is why mine won't go out until tomorrow even though it's all set up for them.

 

[eggfooyoung]

They are telling you they're outgrowing the need for it!  This is a GOOD thing..... it's just the self sufficiency we are trying to help them achieve. By 2 and 3 week old, even brooded outdoors, miy chicks spend more time out of it than in it.  Mine are also totally off all heat and the brooder is removed from the run by the time they are 4 weeks old, and it's still in the twenties and thirties out there....it's often in the teens and twenties when I put them out at a few days old, but this year has been unusually warm by our normal April standards!  

By this age they wouldn't all fit under a broody hen either, so it sounds like you've done everything spot on and they are very good at self-regulating! They are used to the cooler temperatures of the ambient air and they prefer it.  Since we aren't sitting at the brooder with our eyes glued to it 24/7, they could well be sneaking quick warm-ups from time to time that you don't even see. The new little ones will be a different story.  Sound to me like you've done a great job! I'm sorry about the ones you lost...this was a devastating shipment for me as well, which is why mine won't go out until tomorrow even though it's all set up for them.

Thank you so so much! That's what I figured, but being that the two new ones are almost 2 weeks younger than my oldest, I was worried that they needed to be under there. They are nestled in the middle of the rest of the brood so I'm guessing they are nice and toasty. I did notice that the three new ones who are younger we're under the MHP this morning but I'm not sure that's where they slept. Glad to know they won't be needing that for very much longer and stressing me out by not using it LOL! Yes, it was sad to lose the two that I lost, but I kind of knew right from the start that they weren't going to make it. Kind of upsetting being that people sold them to me knowing full well they weren't going to make it because if I, a person with zero chicken experience, can notice when a chick isn't doing well, I'm pretty sure a breeder and a hatchery would know if a chick is sick as well. They were happy to take my $45 (in total) though for them, weren't they... worse yet I have three very small little girls who were completely devastated. Note to self, find a different breed or next year when adding to the flock. Grrrrr....

 

[Blooie]

I think I'd tuck the younger ones under at night, at least for a few days. I'd lower it back down, since you know the bigger chicks aren't using it anyway and the littler ones will probably use it more then. Good luck!!

 

[eggfooyoung]

I think I'd tuck the younger ones under at night, at least for a few days. I'd lower it back down, since you know the bigger chicks aren't using it anyway and the littler ones will probably use it more then. Good luck!!

Will do! THANK YOU!!

 

[bajabirdbrain]

The glue gun is a great idea. We just built another MHP to enalble us raise it easier for the growth of the babies. We still used 2"x4" welded wire but I used my Dremel tool and 2 different grinding wheels to smooth the cut nubs out. Your method is much faster. I made a 1/4" thick wooden perimeter as a frame for the wire and then used 4 lengths of all thread as legs. I put a nut above and below the wooden frame and just moved the all thread up or down to fix the length. Only drawback I see is you need to have some all thread sticking above the MHP so that you have more adjustment to the height. No wonder this thread is nearing 10,000 POSTS!! We still use a small blanket/towel and pillow case to encase the metal/wood.

I took some pictures of Prototype 2 today. Is working fine and the kids appear happy.



There is another nut underneath the wooden frame. Easy to move the frame/wire up or down as needed. The all thread could be covered if you think it is a potential hazard, we don't.