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

[bruceha2000]

I think the "Must overheat the chicks for 4 weeks" 'fact' is the one I find most surprising after seeing babies out in the barn in temps WAY WAY below the "must have" temps. I wonder how that started. Easy to see how it holds on with everyone repeating it including the hatcheries where we get our chicks. "This is the way it has 'always' been done so it is the right way". Except it isn't and hasn't 'always' been.

 

[aart]

I think the "Must overheat the chicks for 4 weeks" 'fact' is the one I find most surprising after seeing babies out in the barn in temps WAY WAY below the "must have" temps. I wonder how that started. Easy to see how it holds on with everyone repeating it including the hatcheries where we get our chicks. "This is the way it has 'always' been done so it is the right way". Except it isn't and hasn't 'always' been.

Are you saying they don't need heat at all @bruceha2000 ??

I think it came from misunderstanding, and propagating, the fact(yes, fact) that they do need a heat source but not specifying that they need a cooler spot too...and can tolerate much cooler temps.
I had a broody hatch out and brood in subfreezing, and sub zero, F's. they did great, but the chicks spent a lot of time under that ~100°F hen.

 

[bruceha2000]

Not at all. They definitely need a "warming hut" whether it be a hen, a MHP cave, a heat plate or a heat lamp. What they do NOT need is ambient 24x7 95°F for a week, then 90°F for a week, etc. But that is what is given an as fact of raising chicks. My first dozen chicks grew up that way in a stifling bathroom for nearly 4 weeks starting near the middle of June. All subsequent chicks have been out in the barn with a hen or MHP from a few days old. Watching them spend the majority of their waking hours after a few days in the barn NOT in/under their heat source in ambient temps of 50° to 70° really set in my mind the fallacy of the "must be done this way" method of raising chicks. And yes, the colder the ambient temp, the more time they will spend under their heat source as they feather out. I would be much happier if the "stated as fact" method said "Must have ACCESS to an area that is 95°F ....".

 

[aart]

I would be much happier if the "stated as fact" method said "Must have ACCESS to an area that is 95°F ....".

Well, yes, but....

....this is more clear, IMO.

specifying that they need a cooler spot too.

 

[bruceha2000]

Can't disagree @aart.

 

[Crazy flock]

I am using this method in a parrot cage, since I have parrots and they are not currently using this one, and my chicks are loving it. I have had one for four days, Capri, and he's twice as big as the one we brought home today and they are the same age. Even my bantam, Bishop, is bigger than the bantam we brought home also today. And when I got Bishop she was the smallest one. I believe it is this method. They also have more confidence and not so afraid when I get into their cage. At night I wrap the bottom of thw cage with a light blanket to keep the air from the air conditioner out and some of the light and they sleep all night long until I uncover them. Like today it was after 10 am. Only because I was taking care of my puppy who got spayed yesterday and forgot to remove the blanket. I clean the cage daily. The heating pad I got from the general dollar store and its a plastic, easy to wash, material and the cover removes for cleaning also so I balance that out with a baby blanket, also easy to wash. Right now they are eating and drinking out of ceramic food/water dishes donated by my parrots, most unwillingly lol, and yeah its perfect. I bought them a "starter" coop today and will be putting it up this weekend and maybe put them in it but only during the day to let them play and get used to it.

 

[member 373180]

Agreed with everything you've said @bruceha2000 and @aart.
I think there are a couple of other considerations at work with the status quo. The first is physics, you need a lot more heat using a lamp that's going to warm the air compared to the chicks being able to press up to a physical heat source like a mhp or broody.

Second, it's a lot easier and cheaper to sell a "ready brooder setup kit" to rope people into their chicken math journey than to sell the much more expensive commercial version of the mhp (ecoglo maybe?) right off the bat. Even building one yourself costs more than a cheap heat lamp with two bulbs. Though maybe not with a pad from the dollar store, haven't seen that before, good find @Crazy flock !

 

[Crazy flock]

[QUOTE="WVForestGirl, post: 20238963, member:

Yes it's on-air and when my husband brought home the chick as a surprise I was unprepared. We had talked about having chickens but I thought we were waiting until spring, lol. I looked up "heating for a chick" and stumbled onto this thread through Google. Ran to the dollar store, cost me $12. I asked to open it to see if it automatically switched off and nope. It only has a switch on or off only. Dollar store was the only thing open in this small town and thankfully it had what I needed and it's working perfectly!

 

[imneva]

make sure you check it... I have one that had only an on / off switch but automatically turns off after 2 hours … turn it on and check after 2 hours

 

[Crazy flock]

make sure you check it... I have one that had only an on / off switch but automatically turns off after 2 hours … turn it on and check after 2 hours

It's been on the whole four days that I have had Capri. And I think because of this and no lamp he sleeps better inside his little shoebox and now with all the other chicks he's much bigger, even the bantam chick, Bishop, we got three days ago is larger than the chick we brought home today and they were in the same tub and Bishop was the smallest then. Plus it keeps it at a good temp from what everyone told me to monitor. They sleep in there most of the time but wonder in and out. For me it seems much better than the heat lamp. Plus they are in the same area as my parrots and they "demand" the light off 10:30 at night and do not like to wake up before 10 am lol.. I think if I had a heat lamp Snow, the U2, would scream all night and no one would be sleeping lol.