MHP, keeping top clean?

[amama]

Ok, so far I still like using the MHP because I love how they put themselves to bed each night and seem pretty happy, but oh the poo!!! 15 chicks make almost a worse mess than our 15 laying hens.

I have a blanket over the top with contact paper, then had a shelf liner (more gripping) over the top of that. They love hanging out on top and with 15 chicks it was disgusting in about 2 hours. I don't have much more of the grip shelf liner, and it's pricey, so I used paper towels over the contact paper so it wouldn't be slippery.

I know most of you use Press N Seal, but how do you clean it? Do you just change out the Press N Seal every day or so?

I'm regretting the MHP vs the heat lamp because of the clean-up. Any economical/easy suggestions?
Thanks

 

[Smuvers Farm]

 

[Smuvers Farm]

@Blooie

 

[Acre4Me]

I use a Heat plate, and cover it with the press n seal. We change the press n seal when we clean out the brooder every few days. It gets bit gross, but their poops are generally not wet and are often fairly dry when we peel it off. You can see it on top of the heat plate here. The press n seal is a good option. The chicks peck at it and pull at it a little bit, but not very much and it does not look like the eat it at all.

 

[Blooie]

I got a little confused by your post - the heating pad is MHP. One and the same. I'm assuming you meant that you regret not using the commercial heat plates, like the Premier or the Brinsea. Chicks poop on top of those too. If you really can't deal with the poop up on top of Mama Heating Pad, then invert a colander or something equally air permeable (we're not trying to make a hot house here) and wire it to the frame so it stays upright. They can't get up on it then, but they can snuggle alongside or underneath.

Press 'n' Seal makes it pretty easy, actually. I don't like too many layers of stuff on top of MHP because I think even the super thin stuff holds heat in and makes cleaning seem like an intimidating task. So I just use a thin towel folded in half, Press 'n Seal just on the top surface, and it's worked for 8 batches of chicks.

I usually just took a couple of paper towels with me when I was checking water or food in the brooder. A couple of wipes and it was cleaner than it was, although I knew I'd never get it all. When it starts to bother you, peel off the P&S and stick a fresh piece down. Chick poop is a pain in the hiney no matter what it's on and it's gonna happen no matter how clean we try to be. So you don't fight it - you just try to keep it manageable. They smoosh it in every time they walk on it anyway. You'll drive yourself nuts if you try to keep it all pristine. Not happening! That's one of the reasons I love the Sunbeam x-Press heat heating pad....when the chicks are done with it, usually about 3-4 weeks old, I can just pull off the plug, toss it into the washer according to the washing instructions, lay it flat to dry and put it away - FLAT, never folded or rolled. Mine says I can also dry it in the dryer, I don't.

Relax.....there's nothing that won't come off with a little soap and water. Thanks for the tag, @Smuvers Farm.

 

[amama]

Oops, meant to write heat lamp; then all the poo would be in the shavings.

I don't mind poo necessarily, it's just that they are laying in it and getting pretty nasty. Some of it is liquid, not nice dry chunks so it makes a big mess.

 

[Blooie]

That makes more sense! I thought I was really losing it but hesitated to stick my neck out further than it already has been all day today!

I think you just have too much stuff on top. The heat isn't getting to the top, it's being held in with so much insulation. So part of the problem is that the poo doesn't really dry out. Mine could get pretty nasty at times too, but it dried up there pretty good and there was usually just a bit of it that didn't. When I hit it with the paper towel, the drier stuff flaked off onto the bedding and the towel got the, um, fresher ones.

@Beekissed and a few others skip the towel completely, tuck their assembly into an old pillowcase and tape the ends closed. When it gets yucky, they just take off the pillow case and give it a couple of good shakes outside. Most of the poop sails away, never to be seen again and then they put the assembly back into the pillowcase. I'm too lazy for that. I just wipe it off for a few days and then replace the P&S!

 

[junebuggena]

I like using puppy training pads to cover mine.

 

[Blooie]

@junebuggena Bless you! I forgot to even mention those, and lots of people use them! Thanks!!

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I like using puppy training pads to cover mine.View attachment 1315478

This never would have occurred to me. We do pillow cases, but end up throwing them away (VERY cheap cases) because, no matter how many times we wash them, they hold on to the little poop stains that get on them!