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

[Liddy]

My chicks have never done any rearranging on their own and I haven't needed to secure the towels. Whisking them off and on is fast and easy. (I'm not lazy, I swear. I'm efficient. )

Aged kitchen towels tend to get a stearate buildup after a few years of heavy use and begin to smell a bit off. Even washing them in hot water doesn't get rid of that, so I donate them to the brooder. If I wind up tossing them after the nuggets graduate to the grow-out coop, it doesn't break my heart.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

My chicks have never done any rearranging on their own and I haven't needed to secure the towels. Whisking them off and on is fast and easy. (I'm not lazy, I swear. I'm efficient. )

Aged kitchen towels tend to get a stearate buildup after a few years of heavy use and begin to smell a bit off. Even washing them in hot water doesn't get rid of that, so I donate them to the brooder. If I wind up tossing them after the nuggets graduate to the grow-out coop, it doesn't break my heart.

Lol, you are talking to a deep bedding in the coop, deep litter in the run, 50 pound no waste feeder, poultry cups on a bucket that lasts well over a week (close to three when I dont have all the extra birds)user here.....I live for simple, least effort possible methods.... that's not lazy.....its smart!

 

[Nksg75]

THIS!!!

Three years ago, I got a double Cackle Hatchery Surprise Pack. 104 chicks and poults, alive upon arrival. I had constructed a 16" x 6', 3-level brooder and with one MHP in each, it worked very well. The second pic shows the interior of one level. I didn't butt the MHP up against the far end, giving them space to escape the mosh pit. The kitchen towel draped over the top was easy to replace and launder, and it allowed a soft flap on either end to help keep the warmth inside.

View attachment 1724346 View attachment 1724347

I moved the wee ones around a lot, so none of them became strangers to the others, emptying each level into the others for cleaning and then redistributing them after. (I only have 14 coming this year and I'm going to reconstruct the tenement to 2 levels, leaving space to hang waterers. The center door was a mistake as well, since my arms are of normal length and the little scamps eluded me in the far ends. Clearing out a level was more time-consuming than it needed to be. Not sure yet if I want two doors with a central removable divider or a section blocked off at one end for supplies.)

MHP ROCKS!!!

That's exactly what I have coming (cackle surprise)
I ordered only 1 cackle surprise box, however I also ordered 50 sexed chicks from Ideal hatchery.
This is where I came up with the 100 chick amount. Could be more or a few less of course.
I am a little nervous about the surprise box!
I hope I don't end up with over 50% roosters! I also requested only chicks. I have no expierence with ducks, and I just finished building a large brooder,and I can't start sectioning it off. Right now it is holding my daughters FFA broilers.
I have timed it just right to have the delivery of chicks after the broilers are gone.

I started looking at the sweeter heater as an alternative.
I really don't want to spend the money on it, but if I can't figure this MHP thing with so many chicks I may have to.
I don't want to start separating chicks, as I know that makes so much more work on me.

 

[MichelleT]

Quick MHP error question. Last night I inadvertantly turned off the MHP on my 3 (approx 2-weeks-old) chicks... it was turned off about 2 hours before I went to bed, and I checked on them at bedtime and they were quiet, so I didn't realize anything was wrong. This morning when I went on to turn on lights, etc they acted completely normal, but when I went to flip a switch to turn my plant lights on I realized that I had accidentally turned off their pad as well. They went all night without the heating pad. I'm assuming that they were able to huddle close enough and under the MHP far enough that they were okay... they were all eating, drinking and scurrying around as usual. They did, however, after breakfast all dig themselves deep into the now warm MHP to warm up. And now I'm wondering if there might be some residual effects after the fact. Anything I should be on the lookout for?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Quick MHP error question. Last night I inadvertantly turned off the MHP on my 3 (approx 2-weeks-old) chicks... it was turned off about 2 hours before I went to bed, and I checked on them at bedtime and they were quiet, so I didn't realize anything was wrong. This morning when I went on to turn on lights, etc they acted completely normal, but when I went to flip a switch to turn my plant lights on I realized that I had accidentally turned off their pad as well. They went all night without the heating pad. I'm assuming that they were able to huddle close enough and under the MHP far enough that they were okay... they were all eating, drinking and scurrying around as usual. They did, however, after breakfast all dig themselves deep into the now warm MHP to warm up. And now I'm wondering if there might be some residual effects after the fact. Anything I should be on the lookout for?

Theyll be fine.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Quick MHP error question. Last night I inadvertantly turned off the MHP on my 3 (approx 2-weeks-old) chicks... it was turned off about 2 hours before I went to bed, and I checked on them at bedtime and they were quiet, so I didn't realize anything was wrong. This morning when I went on to turn on lights, etc they acted completely normal, but when I went to flip a switch to turn my plant lights on I realized that I had accidentally turned off their pad as well. They went all night without the heating pad. I'm assuming that they were able to huddle close enough and under the MHP far enough that they were okay... they were all eating, drinking and scurrying around as usual. They did, however, after breakfast all dig themselves deep into the now warm MHP to warm up. And now I'm wondering if there might be some residual effects after the fact. Anything I should be on the lookout for?

What setting is your mhp on? Given their reaction it may be an indication you can turn it down a notch....by two weeks mine is on low for my chicks out in the coop

 

[MichelleT]

It's at 4... 6 is the max.
They're in the basement, so it's chilly but not as cold as outside. Probably 60 degrees at night.

 

[Liddy]

That's exactly what I have coming (cackle surprise)
I ordered only 1 cackle surprise box, however I also ordered 50 sexed chicks from Ideal hatchery.
This is where I came up with the 100 chick amount. Could be more or a few less of course.
I am a little nervous about the surprise box!
I hope I don't end up with over 50% roosters! I also requested only chicks. I have no expierence with ducks, and I just finished building a large brooder,and I can't start sectioning it off. Right now it is holding my daughters FFA broilers.
I have timed it just right to have the delivery of chicks after the broilers are gone.

Nice timing!

I requested no meaties and no banties in my Cackle Surprise. I got turkeys! They were delightful and didn't outpace the chicks until they were all out of the brooder. At about 4 months they stopped spending nights in the coop, instead roosting on the garage roof. My new metal roof! Most mornings, they greeted us from the cellar walkout roof, peering in the living room windows, as if to say, "C'mon, you know the food is shut in the coop. We want breakfast!"


I was surprised that well over 60% of the chicks were female! All kinds of breeds, from Appenzellar Spitzhauben to Polish, Columbian Rock to Welsummer.

The crowd in the grow-out coop. Isn't that Royal Palm turkey gorgeous, at only 7 weeks? I credit MHP with facilitating their feathering-in and growth.

I hope you are as pleasantly surprised as I was.

 

[Nksg75]

Nice timing!

I requested no meaties and no banties in my Cackle Surprise. I got turkeys! They were delightful and didn't outpace the chicks until they were all out of the brooder. At about 4 months they stopped spending nights in the coop, instead roosting on the garage roof. My new metal roof! Most mornings, they greeted us from the cellar walkout roof, peering in the living room windows, as if to say, "C'mon, you know the food is shut in the coop. We want breakfast!"
View attachment 1724957

I was surprised that well over 60% of the chicks were female! All kinds of breeds, from Appenzellar Spitzhauben to Polish, Columbian Rock to Welsummer.

View attachment 1724963 The crowd in the grow-out coop. Isn't that Royal Palm turkey gorgeous, at only 7 weeks? I credit MHP with facilitating their feathering-in and growth.

I hope you are as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Oh, I didn’t think that they even sold meaties! Oh, no I just said no ducks please!!
I would love turkeys, that sounds fun!!

 

[blackdog043]

It's at 4... 6 is the max.
They're in the basement, so it's chilly but not as cold as outside. Probably 60 degrees at night.

4 is fine for now, you can probably turn it down to 3 on Saturday. They'll be near 3 weeks, by 4 weeks 1 or no heat.
When are you moving them to the coop?