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

[MichelleT]

Our babies are doing so well!!! I couldn't be more pleased, except that my big girls aren't very happy about their presence and only one has warmed up to them (although, she has been good all along). We'll keep working on it though.

QUESTION: It has been in the 70s during the daytime and down in the high 40s at night. Their pad is now set at 4 at night and 3 in the daytime. They rarely congregate under the MHP any more... only during naps and at night. They're too busy usually. Anyway, we're scheduled for late-season freeze tonght (low 30s) and I'm wondering if I should bump the pad up a notch tonight or just leave it as is. They're getting more and more feathers - tail, wings, back and some breast feathers.

 

[Blooie]

Just leave it as it is. They'll be fine. They know where it is and they know what it's for, so of they need it it will be still be warm enough for them. They're bigger, they're feathering, and they'll give off their own body heat, too - which they now have some control over.

 

[aart]

Lost the tiny weak one...tried multiple times to feed and water....think something was not right with it's innards. Happens (livestock-deadstock) but always stinks.

Onward....got 2 CCL coming Tuesday....wishing I had a tiny(6x8) heating pad to make a tiny MHP. Not sure how I am going to work the integration of day olds chicks with the other 10 day olds and 3 week olds <scratcheshead>probably go with heat lamp, and younger chick juggling, for a few days then see if I can get them all together.....should be fun, eh?

 

[Kaitie09]

Just wanted to share my experience. I'm not sure if I just wasn't doing it right, or if my heating pad is too fluffy, or if my basement was too cold in general, but I was having issues where the chicks were climbing up in between the wire to get closer to the pad, and it didn't seem like the heat was getting trapped under my cave.. I would find them on top of each other up there. So instead of the "chick cave", I made a "chick house"! I used a 6x12 cardboard box and attached the heating pad to the sides and roof using HVAC repair tape, which is heat-proof. I did not fold the heating pad at all, just draped it. They really love it and settled down immediately and seem to enjoy laying against the fluff. There's room to cut the doors out so they can get in there while they grow, and I can also just move it to a bigger box when needed.

 

[junebuggena]

Just wanted to share my experience. I'm not sure if I just wasn't doing it right, or if my heating pad is too fluffy, or if my basement was too cold in general, but I was having issues where the chicks were climbing up in between the wire to get closer to the pad, and it didn't seem like the heat was getting trapped under my cave.. I would find them on top of each other up there. So instead of the "chick cave", I made a "chick house"! I used a 6x12 cardboard box and attached the heating pad to the sides and roof using HVAC repair tape, which is heat-proof. I did not fold the heating pad at all, just draped it. They really love it and settled down immediately and seem to enjoy laying against the fluff. There's room to cut the doors out so they can get in there while they grow, and I can also just move it to a bigger box when needed.
View attachment 551325 View attachment 551326

Missing the point. You aren't trying to trap heat in the cave. The chicks must be able to make contact with the pad. That is how they get warmed. Not by simply being in the 'cave', but by snuggling up directly against the pad.

 

[Kaitie09]

Missing the point. You aren't trying to trap heat in the cave. The chicks must be able to make contact with the pad. That is how they get warmed. Not by simply being in the 'cave', but by snuggling up directly against the pad.

Even with the heating pad only 3 inches off the ground, where if they just stood there, it was touching their backs, I was still finding them stuck up in between the heating pad and 2x4 wire, to the point where I had to help them figure their way out. When I switched it to hardware cloth, they were acting like they were constantly cold. Also, when I put my hand inside the cave, I was not feeling much warmth.Maybe it's a default in my heating pad, but even on the highest heat, it never seemed like it was warm enough for them until I switched to this setup.

 

[MichelleT]

Even with the heating pad only 3 inches off the ground, where if they just stood there, it was touching their backs, I was still finding them stuck up in between the heating pad and 2x4 wire, to the point where I had to help them figure their way out.

Wondering if your pad was upside-down? If they liked the other side of it, maybe it was warmer?

 

[Kaitie09]

Wondering if your pad was upside-down? If they liked the other side of it, maybe it was warmer?

Possibly. I noticed that it seemed to be warmest along the two ends. The middle was hard to even feel much heat, even with my hand right on it.

 

[aart]

Missing the point. You aren't trying to trap heat in the cave. The chicks must be able to make contact with the pad. That is how they get warmed. Not by simply being in the 'cave', but by snuggling up directly against the pad.

Ditto Dat^^^!!!

One side of the most popular pad here is slightly warmer than the other, but I've found that it really doesn't matter.

Not being able to touch their backs to the pad is a deal breaker tho...probably why they were climbing in between, trying to get closer.

In this pic you can see I raised the back a bit too high, I lowered back down a bit.

 

[Blooie]

Just wanted to share my experience. I'm not sure if I just wasn't doing it right, or if my heating pad is too fluffy, or if my basement was too cold in general, but I was having issues where the chicks were climbing up in between the wire to get closer to the pad, and it didn't seem like the heat was getting trapped under my cave.. I would find them on top of each other up there. So instead of the "chick cave", I made a "chick house"! I used a 6x12 cardboard box and attached the heating pad to the sides and roof using HVAC repair tape, which is heat-proof. I did not fold the heating pad at all, just draped it. They really love it and settled down immediately and seem to enjoy laying against the fluff. There's room to cut the doors out so they can get in there while they grow, and I can also just move it to a bigger box when needed.
View attachment 551325 View attachment 551326

Although the idea is indeed to have the pad right at their backs, as far as this cookie is concerned if it works, go with it! You can see my latest batch of Silkies in this shot, living outside in Northern Wyoming and loving it. A lot of us have changed over to putting the heating pad on the underside of the frame. Less chance of chicks getting trapped between the frame and the heating pad. There are good, clear directions for doing this right here:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update/450

As for temperatures under a set up like the one pictured below, the average temp under there on the floor was only 82.5 degrees in a 69 degree room! @azygous asked about that very early in the thread, so I decided to measure it and give her a definitive answer. Going by the book, my chicks should have been dead, but there it was on Day 6 under there and they were thriving. Since then nothing has changed for me and mine besides where they are raised, and for me that's now outdoors in the run from the start - and our springtime temps out there are still in the teens and twenties many times, with snow! Since the pad is only warming the chicks by direct contact, usually the ambient temperatures don't matter that much - within reason, of course.

After even a few days, but definitely after they are about a week old, they always spend as much time on top of the pad, if not more. They like it. It's soft, it's cozy, it's warm, and they can survey their domain or play king of the mountain.

I'm not trying to talk you out of doing something that's working for you. I'm just kinda reassuring you that at one point or another we all entertained some doubts about how this worked and had a bit of a "relearning" curve. Good luck with your chicks! Oh, and your Broody Brigade membership dues are paid! <grin>