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

[Blooie]

Will you leave the VN's in there too?

Yep. The way they congregate around the “water cooler”, jostling for a spot the second they see one over there getting a drink, I always know that a few will start hitting the horizontals when they get crowded out away from the verticals. Then it’s just a matter of switching them out. There are 2 nipples on the vertical, 4 on the horizontal.

 

[imacowgirl2]

MHP success!! After a harrowing 5 hours this morning, our batch of 23 chicks that arrived in the mail this morning are happy little campers!

To make my MHP, I used a wire shelf that was 24" x 30", and attached two of the large sunbeam heating pads to the bottom of it. I decided to use 2 since I wasn't sure my order of 25 chicks would all fit under 1. After that was done, I used bolts and washers and nuts to make adjustable feet on it. Turned it all on and tested it yesterday, looked great! Added a piece of leftover vinyl flooring to the top to protect the top of the heating pads from poop.

This morning, it took a chick about 0.2 seconds to get itself wedged between the heating pad and the wire shelf....since the heating pads are under the shelf, and the shelf has a pretty good lip on it, no idea how that happened...so modification #1 -- I put duct tape around the edges of the heating pads.

Half hour later, I pull the vinyl flooring up to verify no one else is caught between the wire and the pads, and a chick has his head stuck between the two pads where they come together. Modification #2 ensues...duct tape where the two pads come together.

Back to work for awhile, where I keep and debating what the odds are of a chick getting their head stuck between the pads and the bungee cords. Decide I can't deal with worrying about that all the time while I'm working, so over my lunch hour modification #3 occurs - remove the bolt legs, wrap the whole thing in a large sheet, and fasten every single opening with duct tape... Then put the bolt legs back on by creating a tiny hole through the sheet where the legs go.

Everyone is happy and loving it now, and I'm reasonably sure they aren't going to kill themselves on MHP.

First iteration:

Current iteration: wrapped in a sheet

And some cute pics from underneath:

 

[Molpet]

MHP success!! After a harrowing 5 hours this morning, our batch of 23 chicks that arrived in the mail this morning are happy little campers!

To make my MHP, I used a wire shelf that was 24" x 30", and attached two of the large sunbeam heating pads to the bottom of it. I decided to use 2 since I wasn't sure my order of 25 chicks would all fit under 1. After that was done, I used bolts and washers and nuts to make adjustable feet on it. Turned it all on and tested it yesterday, looked great! Added a piece of leftover vinyl flooring to the top to protect the top of the heating pads from poop.

This morning, it took a chick about 0.2 seconds to get itself wedged between the heating pad and the wire shelf....since the heating pads are under the shelf, and the shelf has a pretty good lip on it, no idea how that happened...so modification #1 -- I put duct tape around the edges of the heating pads.

Half hour later, I pull the vinyl flooring up to verify no one else is caught between the wire and the pads, and a chick has his head stuck between the two pads where they come together. Modification #2 ensues...duct tape where the two pads come together.

Back to work for awhile, where I keep and debating what the odds are of a chick getting their head stuck between the pads and the bungee cords. Decide I can't deal with worrying about that all the time while I'm working, so over my lunch hour modification #3 occurs - remove the bolt legs, wrap the whole thing in a large sheet, and fasten every single opening with duct tape... Then put the bolt legs back on by creating a tiny hole through the sheet where the legs go.

Everyone is happy and loving it now, and I'm reasonably sure they aren't going to kill themselves on MHP.

First iteration:
View attachment 3142314


Current iteration: wrapped in a sheet

View attachment 3142316

And some cute pics from underneath:
View attachment 3142317

View attachment 3142318
View attachment 3142319

Congratulations

Mine is one large heating pad. Everything is inside a zipper travel size pillow case.

 

[bruceha2000]

wrap the whole thing in a large sheet, and fasten every single opening with duct tape.

I also wrap the entire thing in fabric of some sort so there is no chance a chick and get stuck.

Fine job, happy chicks!

 

[Blooie]

Congratulations!!! My friend @LazyGardener used to say that chicks hatch and start looking for ways to kill themselves.

This time of year they won’t need much heat for long, Mine have been off for sometime now, and the youngest were 2.5 weeks, the oldest 4.5 weeks when MHP came out. They’re still at the “huddle together in the corner” stage so they all stayed comfortable.

 

[janiedoe]

Its so hot here, that my mama hen is just laying beside her chicks. They go under her occasionally. I went out last night (it was 77° overnight low) to check on them and they were still laying beside her. They are 48 hours old today.

 

[bruceha2000]

Doesn't she know that chicks that age NEED 95°F ambient 24x7???

 

[janiedoe]

Doesn't she know that chicks that age NEED 95°F ambient 24x7???

Im trying to give her the benefit of a doubt since she is raising (at least) her 12th batch. I'll let her know, though!

 

[bruceha2000]

Next thing you know she'll be hanging up a heat lamp to comply with the "Must Do" requirements.

 

[Blooie]

Next thing you know she'll be hanging up a heat lamp to comply with the "Must Do" requirements.

You said the “HL” word!