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

[aart]

So I'm new to brooding chicks and made myself the MHP and am now awaiting the wee fuzzy things to fill it. Lol. They are supposed to be coming in a week. I'm pretty excited. The temp in the MHP is between 32-34°C, which to my understanding is where I want it.
Please give me any ideas on improvements needed, if you notice any needed in the pics. Improvements other than needing food and water. Haha!!
Happy chickening!!

The temp is not measured under the MHP like with a heat lamp,
they need to be able to touch their backs to it.
Why @wyoDreamer asked about adjusting the height.

They also need to be able to get out from underneath on at least 2 sides, 4 sides is better.

 

[The_Flock]

How many chicks are you going to have in there?
Is the height of the MMHP set-up adjustable?

We are getting 12 chicks. It's not adjustable but we are going to add height to the bottom. Or bend the frame up. Or both, if it needs it.

 

[The_Flock]

The temp is not measured under the MHP like with a heat lamp,
they need to be able to touch their backs to it.
Why @wyoDreamer asked about adjusting the height.

They also need to be able to get out from underneath on at least 2 sides, 4 sides is better.

Ok...good to know. I can bend up a side. I have the heating pad on the highest setting. It has 6 settings. I was hoping to turn it down a setting each week, kind of thing.
I can also put something on the floor of the brooder to get the wee ones closer to the heating pad, if I need to.

 

[Molpet]

We are getting 12 chicks. It's not adjustable but we are going to add height to the bottom. Or bend the frame up. Or both, if it needs it.

I have put it on a deep layer of bedding... covered with a paper towel for the first week. They tend to dig out the bedding under it and have more hight.

 

[The_Flock]

@aart @wyoDreamer the back is open on this. It has a bit of an overhang but it's still open. I could move it out from the wall of the brooder a bit so they can get in and out. Maybe I'll take more pics? I put Press'N Seal on anything that is cloth, including the heating pad.

 

[K0k0shka]

How big is that bin? Looks very small for 12. They grow fast.

 

[The_Flock]

How big is that bin? Looks very small for 12. They grow fast.

It is 40"L × 22"W × 18"H. I have a couple xpens at my disposal too. We are making a lid from hardware cloth soon.

 

[K0k0shka]

It is 40"L × 22"W × 18"H. I have a couple xpens at my disposal too. We are making a lid from hardware cloth soon.

Mine was about that size with about that many chicks, and it got too small after about two weeks.

 

[The_Flock]

@K0k0shka Ok...good to know. What size did you move your chicks to? Our extra large crate is a bit bigger. We also have a 4'×8' mobile coop that I could figure out how to put the MHP in when they are too big for this tote. The weather should be favourable. Plus I could put plastic around it so they don't get the weather. But they would be on the ground out there. I'm not sure if they might be too young for that yet, but I don't know.

 

[K0k0shka]

@K0k0shka Ok...good to know. What size did you move your chicks to? Our extra large crate is a bit bigger. We also have a 4'×8' mobile coop that I could figure out how to put the MHP in when they are too big for this tote. The weather should be favourable. Plus I could put plastic around it so they don't get the weather. But they would be on the ground out there. I'm not sure if they might be too young for that yet, but I don't know.

I moved mine out to the coop at 3 weeks. Night temps were in the 30s and 40s (F), but they had their MHP with them and did just fine. That last one week in the brooder they were really crammed, but my coop wasn’t 100% finished yet, otherwise I would’ve moved them sooner.