The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[curious chickee]

Not sure but I think some people have fit that many or even 24, 25 under the pad some add a second smaller one though or connect too but a lot fit under there. Another thing people do is flatten it out like a heat plate rather than the cave design, that's how most of the people fit so many since more can fit that way

I have used both, my LF had no problems I could fit 15 under the X- large but no more than that. My bantams are a different story, they squished each other under the heating pad. I had 12 and lost a few from being smashed. They like to sleep in dog piles. I switched them to a 75 watt heat lamp and they are happier still sleep in small clumps of 3-4 chicks but Spread out. I can brood 15-20 no problems.

 

[JulesChicks]

I don't really necessarily think one is "bad" but I found Blooie's Mama Heating Pad thread righr before I got my chicks and it just made more sense to me and seemed much more natural. I mean, broody raised chicks don't have a light and heat glaring on them 24/7, ya know? Heck, they even tried heat lamps first and liked this better and made the thread. Plus with the risk of fire, heat lamps make me nervous. But like I said above, I don't necessarily think heat lamps are bad and done right it can be fine but in my opinion, I prefer the heatng pad. And I think I would prefer the pad cave or a makeshift heat plate made with a pad to buying a heat plate since usually it's cheaper and more cozy. Though some of the plates are similar priced or easier to clean, gotta look around. Anyway, I personally think the MHP or plate is more natural because they have day night cycles and regulate their own heat like a broody would but there are good and bad ways to do both. For example, raised indoors in a Rubbermaid box with a lamp glaring over them, cooking them, I don't think is a good way to do it BUT even with MHP, that same box is too small. And some people make the caves too high. So there's good and bad for both. I think in a bigger brooder space where they could actually have a choice to be under the lamp or not instead of heating the whole little box then it would be more ideal.

Exactly.

I started out with heat lamps but after using a heat plate, I'll never go back to a lamp again.

The reasons I like the plate or pad are typical.

One of the reasons I like them is that They have a normal day/night cycle which seems like it is more healthy and natural. Under the lamp you see chicks going and going at all hours of the night then they just "collapse" wherever they are out of exhaustion. With the plate, the sun goes down and they go to sleep. The sun comes up and they get up. They run under the "pseudo-mamma" when they are cold and come out when they choose. I notice that during the day they are out from under the heat most of the time rather than being subjected to heat all the time.

When I brought these babies home, I purposely set the room they were in as cold as I could get it. That was about 49-50F. They spent very little time under the heat.

When I had a broody that hatched eggs in temperatures in the teens, those babies were out running around much more than I thought they'd be. When they got cold they'd start chirping lout and mamma would drop and under they'd go for a quick warm-up...then out again in no time at all. They sure blew to pieces the idea that they needed to be kept at 95 degrees all the time for the first week!

I think this helps them to acclimate on their own time table.



If all I had was a heat lamp, I'd use it. But my experience is that this sure beats the 24 hour lamp and heat they can't escape.


Edited to add: I also like the idea of the "comfort" for them of being able to go under something like they would a mamma rather than always being exposed and open.

x2

PS: My heat plate is 22 watts. It is likely that it paid for itself the first time I used it in electricity savings. And I never worry about fire from a fallen or broken light bulb.

Good point - maybe I'll spring for the plate! But after using this styro-bator for the last several weeks and being frustrated with managing temps and humidity, I may be getting a Brinsea if I keep hatching!

I have used both, my LF had no problems I could fit 15 under the X- large but no more than that. My bantams are a different story, they squished each other under the heating pad. I had 12 and lost a few from being smashed. They like to sleep in dog piles. I switched them to a 75 watt heat lamp and they are happier still sleep in small clumps of 3-4 chicks but Spread out. I can brood 15-20 no problems.

I was worried about them trampling each other in there - I only had six before although it could accommodate many more. I may flatten it out this time, but I will have to figure out how to support it.


The other reason I like the heat plate/ MHP instead of constant heat is that they tend to feather out faster so they can be off heat sooner in general. Not being under constant heat stimulates feather growth.

 

[curious chickee]

Exactly.

x2

Good point - maybe I'll spring for the plate! But after using this styro-bator for the last several weeks and being frustrated with managing temps and humidity, I may be getting a Brinsea if I keep hatching!

I was worried about them trampling each other in there - I only had six before although it could accommodate many more.  I may flatten it out this time, but I will have to figure out how to support it.  


The other reason I like the heat plate/ MHP instead of constant heat is that they tend to feather out faster so they can be off heat sooner in general. Not being under constant heat stimulates feather growth. 

Mine aren't in constant heat only one corner heated.

 

[curious chickee]

I discovered they feathered the same under my broody as in brooder, but we also have mild temperatures

 

[JulesChicks]

I found with the heat lamp on in one corner of a large cardboard box that the whole bathroom and not just the box would get heated. This was a decent sized basement bathroom with a small glass block window that didn't open. A heat lamp will heat a good sized area, but will of course be hottest under it. The heat plates work entirely different and do not send out heat to the rest of the brooder. Not saying either is right or wrong, but for me I was worried about fires - after reading stories on BYC of people losing their barn, etc - and for me I brooded in the house last year (this year we are at our new place so they will be in the shop, but again, we are living right above it as we renovate the main house). The other main reason I like the pad is that they truly do go to sleep at night. Last year, the first 2 weeks I brooded with a lamp and they would be chirping at night. Once I switched to the heating pad they quieted down at night and went to sleep. I know I can't sleep with even a little light. Right now we have a skylight above our bed and it's driving me nuts! I need to figure out how to cover that asap - sun is up around 6:30 and down about 8pm now - in summer it will be up at 4:30 and light til about 10.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I have used both, my LF had no problems I could fit 15 under the X- large but no more than that. My bantams are a different story, they squished each other under the heating pad. I had 12 and lost a few from being smashed. They like to sleep in dog piles. I switched them to a 75 watt heat lamp and they are happier still sleep in small clumps of 3-4 chicks but Spread out. I can brood 15-20 no problems.

Seems like a good solution

Exactly.

x2

Good point - maybe I'll spring for the plate! But after using this styro-bator for the last several weeks and being frustrated with managing temps and humidity, I may be getting a Brinsea if I keep hatching!

I was worried about them trampling each other in there - I only had six before although it could accommodate many more.  I may flatten it out this time, but I will have to figure out how to support it.  


The other reason I like the heat plate/ MHP instead of constant heat is that they tend to feather out faster so they can be off heat sooner in general. Not being under constant heat stimulates feather growth. 

Same

 

[ShrekDawg]

I found with the heat lamp on in one corner of a large cardboard box that the whole bathroom and not just the box would get heated. This was a decent sized basement bathroom with a small glass block window that didn't open.   A heat lamp will heat a good sized area, but will of course be hottest under it.  The heat plates work entirely different and do not send out heat to the rest of the brooder.  Not saying either is right or wrong, but for me I was worried about fires - after reading stories on BYC of people losing their barn, etc - and for me I brooded in the house last year (this year we are at our new place so they will be in the shop, but again, we are living right above it as we renovate the main house).  The other main reason I like the pad is that they truly do go to sleep at night.  Last year, the first 2 weeks I brooded with a lamp and they would be chirping at night. Once I switched to the heating pad they quieted down at night and went to sleep. I know I can't sleep with even a little light.  Right now we have a skylight above our bed and it's driving me nuts! I need to figure out how to cover that asap - sun is up around 6:30 and down about 8pm now - in summer it will be up at 4:30 and light til about 10.

Exactly! In a box, the whole area is heated even if it is a tad warmer under the lamp. In a larger brooder,they would better be able to self regulate but it it wouls still heat quite a large area, I mean people sometimes heat garages or work benches with them. They are called HEAT lamps for a reason, they generate a lot of heat. So you would have to have an absolutely MASSIVE coop or run to be able to truly get away from the heat which most people don't have. I'm not saying heat lamps are bad but the whole premise is to heat the whole area. But of course many will say they need certain temps so maybe that is the goal? But ya. And I too love the quiet at night. I'm thankful I found the thread before I got my chicks and have never had to use a heat lamo

 

[lalaland]

I've used heat lamps for years, and two years back I won a brinsea brooding plate here on a byc contest. With the fire hazard threat, I was happy to have it. I have always wondered about the fire threat - every year warnings are issued about fires from christmas lights, and that seems to be an issue of common sense and proper use of extension cords/candles/heaters. So maybe heat lamp fires are the same - preventable if you ensure the lamp can't fall down, keep the proper distance from shavings, keep the dust off the bulb and socket, and make proper use of any extension cord.


I really really liked using he brinsea brooder and noticed less pasty butt problems and of course, that the chicks never went through freaking out the first time they were in total darkness. They also didnt exhibit as much of the "run til they drop in sleep" behavior.

Oldhenlikesdogs, I bought into the start at 95 and lower by 5 degrees each week regimen and it never occurred to me that lower temps or a lower heat lamp could work - always used the 250 red bulb.

I'm using both the small brinsea and a large heating pad for the 25 chicks. It was cautioned on another thread that someone's husband who is an electrician nixed the use of an "older" heating pad because the electric wires get brittle with age.

I also have one of those heat plates for the wall, which I bought when I had a severely injured hen who was in recovery for weeks from a dog attack and we were having subzero temps. I am pretty confident that it would not provide sufficient heat for brooding.

Who was it who was using the feather dusters and the homemade fleece tied strips hanging upside down in an upturned basket for chicks?

 

[Leahs Mom]

With the Premier heat plate, all sides are open so if there is any "squishing" they can escape through any side. I like that even better than the Brinsea EcoGlow because with the Brinsea, 2 sides are enclosed and there isn't as much leeway for precise adjustment of height as with the Premier.

RE the heating pad - You can make it on a rigid frame to mimic the Premier plates so that they can escape from all sides. Some of the folks are making them tightly enclosed which seems like it could be a "death trap" for weaker or smaller chicks.





Using the Premier as a pattern, and using examples that @aart and @henless made with heat pads is the best design in my opinion.

I post these photos with "reservations" as I already stated: 1. I haven't used it yet. 2. I am very cautious about recommending that someone should use a heat pad that wasn't designed for this use.

With those disclaimers up front, here is how I put together the heat pad for the meat chicks.

We have tons of the closet shelving material that my husband nabbed when it was being thrown away at work. So use the shelving cut to exact length of the heat pad. Aart and Henless have frames that are made from other things but they are also rigid with varying types of legs.

Adjustable legs made with carriage bolts and large 2" washers and a wing nut on top.

8" Long, 1/2" Diameter Carriage Bolts; 2" Diameter washers; regular nut below and wing nut on top.












Will put something on top just don't have photos of that. Likely a folded towel for padding inside a woven feed bag or something like that. They will like spend a good amount of time on top



Looking at the underside:



The top without any cover on it yet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@lalaland

It was @Kassaundra that used the feather dusters.