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

[bruceha2000]

Generally speaking chicks are fully feathered around 4 weeks and shouldn't need supplemental heat. At the age of your chicks I would definitely have the pad on low. If they don't go under it, especially at night (and you don't have lights on in the room at night, right?) it is either too hot or they don't need or want it.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

They should be okay without a heater at all if its in the 70s. Cooler than that, and I'd leave the heating pad on. They'll use it if they need it, but will need it less and less. I think it can take closer to 6 weeks for some breeds to be feathered out enough for cooler than that.

If it were me, I'd try the heat lamp off and he3atibg pad on low while home and listen for "angry chicken" peeps. If they are upset while under the heater, they are likely cold. You could turn it back up. But I'd wean them off the lamp - mine never had one from day 1 and just went under the heating pad as needed. Lamp shouldn't be necessary.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Generally speaking chicks are fully feathered around 4 weeks and shouldn't need supplemental heat. At the age of your chicks I would definitely have the pad on low. If they don't go under it, especially at night (and you don't have lights on in the room at night, right?) it is either too hot or they don't need or want it.

The chicks are about 75% feathered now. I will try to get a picture later this evening. The lights are off in the evening so it gets dark around dinner time. They did go back under the MHP last night since I shut off the heat lamp. I had only turned on the heat lamp to help warm the air in the general area because the brooder is next to the window (to allow daylight into the brooder) and I was worried they would get cold with the outside temperature dropping into single digits at night. I figured it being that cold OUTSIDE would cause the air to be too chilly for them by the window.

Does that make sense?

 

[TJAnonymous]

Here's the chicks... They are still mostly fuzz around their neck, middle of the breast, head, and under their butt...

I have the heat lamp on right now because I'm cold sitting out here....

 

[wyoDreamer]

The chicks are looking good. I love the tiny tail feather stage, lol!

 

[bruceha2000]

Yep, they are getting there! How many times a day do you have to put them back in the bin when they've flown down to the floor? I raised my first 12 in a bathtub. By 3 weeks they could get up on the feeder and waterer to get on the edge of the tub. From there they explored the floor but couldn't fly up to the tub edge from the outside. All subsequent chicks have been raised in the barn. I will say I've never considered raising chicks in the winter.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Yep, they are getting there! How many times a day do you have to put them back in the bin when they've flown down to the floor? I raised my first 12 in a bathtub. By 3 weeks they could get up on the feeder and waterer to get on the edge of the tub. From there they explored the floor but couldn't fly up to the tub edge from the outside. All subsequent chicks have been raised in the barn. I will say I've never considered raising chicks in the winter.

I use a big Rubbermaid tub as a brooder. I cut out most of the lid and zip tied some hardware cloth onto the lid. This allows me to keep them contained in the brooder for most of the day. I do let them out 1-2x a day to run around my sunroom, play, cuddle with me, and stretch their wings. I have two brooders set up this way but only using 1 currently for these 2 chicks. I do have 22 Silkie eggs in the incubator right now so sometime in the next 3 weeks I'm going to have to move these two into the coop. Hoping temperature improves by then... If not, I can set up a dog crate and move them into it for an additional week. Surely they will be fully feathered in the next 3-4 weeks.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Question - My 2 chicks are now 5 weeks old. They are about 95% feathered... Night time temps are still hovering between 28 - 32 degrees. Do you think my chicks will be OK if I move them out to a dog crate inside my coop and use the MHP out there for them at night? Or is it still too cold for them, even with the MHP?

 

[aart]

Question - My 2 chicks are now 5 weeks old. They are about 95% feathered... Night time temps are still hovering between 28 - 32 degrees. Do you think my chicks will be OK if I move them out to a dog crate inside my coop and use the MHP out there for them at night? Or is it still too cold for them, even with the MHP?

That should work.
Keep the power cords safely secured.
Are there other birds in the coop?

 

[TJAnonymous]

That should work.
Keep the power cords safely secured.
Are there other birds in the coop?

Yes... It's my main coop so approx 35 adults. That's why I'm keeping the chicks in a crate so we can start the integration process.