Wool hen- Anyone else?

[EggSighted4Life]

They just don't stay huddled long enough to want to go in there. They huddle for a bit and then they're off doing their thing again. No loud peeping. I'm keeping a close eye on them but they seem pretty happy.

Little buggers have too many things to see in the big new world.

 

[Eckielady]

Little buggers have too many things to see in the big new world. 

Agreed. We've now started flying and it's like being in the middle of a hummingbird nest.

 

[chicknmania]

I actually spoke to the hatchery I purchased them from, and they said either light or pad, both are about equal as far as safety. they also said people have put heat lights on a timer and that works fine. I doubt If I will have time to buy a MHP before we lieave but for future broods, yeah, I agree, I like the idea of the pad more than the light. Or the wool hen.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I actually spoke to the hatchery I purchased them from, and they said either light or pad, both are about equal as far as safety. they also said people have put heat lights on a timer and that works fine. I doubt If I will have time to buy a MHP before we lieave but for future broods, yeah, I agree, I like the idea of the pad more than the light. Or the wool hen.

I disagree whole heartedly with the hatchery you spoke to. They are not equally safe as far as fire hazard goes... I don't know of anyone who had a fire with the pad. Plenty of fires reported with the lamps!

The lamp CAN be safe... if you secure it properly and make sure nothing can get knocked into it.

Yes the MHP or wool hen are both great ideas. I personally haven't yet been able to employ either because my project list is endless. But I did decide to use the ceramic, non light emitting heat thing screwed into the heat lamp socket... which is important to make sure it's actually got the ceramic socket to accommodate the heat output from heat lamps... standard clamp lamps like used in shops and such without the ceramic socket are not desirable for THIS purpose.

Anyways, it works well even though it's hard to tell just by looking if it is still working. And it doesn't seem to emit nearly as much heat as a heat lamp with the same wattage (that's a minus). But it DOES allow the babes to sleep all night.

Hope you have a great trip, wherever you are going!

 

[chicknmania]

I would think the pad would be safer too but I do know that the sales rep of the place I looked at on line to purchase the pad said the same thing, that they were about equal. Anyway, our heat light is firmly secured, and I can adjust it so that it changes the temperature; there's a screen over the box so it can't fall on the chicks, and it does have a ceramic socket, but where did you get the non light emitting heat thing? What is it? I really feel like our chicks think the light is too hot, even when the thermometer is at 85, because they move away from it to the far end of the box sometimes. But if I adjust it away from them for too long, then they seem like they are cold. I got some real sheep's wool at the fair today, so I'm going to incorporate it into our wool hen as well as the fabric, but I'm not going to have enough time to make one, I don't think.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I bought it on Amazon. They also sell them in the reptile department at pet stores and feed stores.

As long as they can get away from the heat when they do go to the other end, they should be good. It is OK for them to huddle together a little, but too hot can be detrimental. I don't know how old they are. I try to have the heat taking up the minimal amount of space in the brooder possible. And at a certain age, I do turn it off during the day time, but not sure I would count on a timer. Though I have with things like my fish and such. If you are, it's important to set it up and make sure it works how you expect just as if you were gone. At least, that is what I recommend.

I used non ceramic sockets before I new better. My main issue with lights, aside from chicks not sleeping even under red... is that they burn out all the time. And if you don't have another one on hand your kind of outta luck in the middle of the night. Heating pad, on the other hand has been in use for years on end with no sign of malfunction any time soon. Figure I can mostly expect the same performance from the one I bought with the 2 hour bypass, a $35 investment... but bulbs are often between 7-10 and I've already bought 4 in the past couple of years. I do happen to NOW have the white light on hand, since I switched to red. But I'm not sure if I have a red light on hand since I switched to ceramic. And I can't comment yet as to the longevity of the ceramic emitter. It looks similar to the heating elements that are on electric stoves.

I have mostly moved on to just using broody's. It's a love hate thing. It's pretty special but has special challenges as well. What I dislike the most is the shyness that comes with being broody raised and having a bunch of little chicks pooing in my lay boxes.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Do you have room for a broody area? We set up an enclosed broody box with a small enclosed run. The broody hen can get off the nest and walk around, poo, munch some grass, etc. and be enclosed at night for better protection. When chicks hatch, they have some room to play when ready and again be locked up for protection at night. The broody area is inside our large run and next to the roosting area, so everyone can see each other from the beginning. I think this helps with intergration when the time comes. Just a thought if you have the room.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you have room for a broody area? We set up an enclosed broody box with a small enclosed run. The broody hen can get off the nest and walk around, poo, munch some grass, etc. and be enclosed at night for better protection. When chicks hatch, they have some room to play when ready and again be locked up for protection at night. The broody area is inside our large run and next to the roosting area, so everyone can see each other from the beginning. I think this helps with intergration when the time comes. Just a thought if you have the room.

That's a good idea. Unfortunately that would require a whole other coop practically since I have 5+ broody's at a time, WAY too often. Since they are raised in the coop along side the rest of the flock integration is automatic and the broody's handle it.

Once the chicks are born, she takes them out most of the whole day. So I guess, I just need to be sure and freshen the box when I let them out. When they are sitting and occupying the box is one of my less desired times. But if I try to move them BEFORE chicks arrive, they never stay.... And once chicks arrive, it seems maybe easier to just clean up then to lock them to another place and fight the hen.

Your set up sounds great. I will definitely be considering a broody coop, since I have so many. Right now my girls (currently 3) get locked in the broody breaker in the run... I'm afraid they would make the same association.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Our broody area is all self enclosed, nest and run, just nest area with food and water is more protected than the run. Like a mini coop and run inside the major coop and run set up in the backyard. So yes your girls might associate this with what you have been using to break broodiness.

 

[chicknmania]

Do you have room for a broody area? We set up an enclosed broody box with a small enclosed run. The broody hen can get off the nest and walk around, poo, munch some grass, etc. and be enclosed at night for better protection. When chicks hatch, they have some room to play when ready and again be locked up for protection at night. The broody area is inside our large run and next to the roosting area, so everyone can see each other from the beginning. I think this helps with intergration when the time comes. Just a thought if you have the room.[/QUOTE)
That's what we do, too. Our broodies and their chicks are kept separate from the flock until they're six weeks old. They have their own hen & chick pen in the barn for the nights, and after they are a week or two old we also have a very large chicken tractor so they go in that outside on nice days. it has what we call a "chick condo" which offers a two level area they can perch on, and shelter from sun, rain, and predators. They also have grass, a chick "tunnel" made from a piece of drain tile, a private dust bath, and a few perches of different levels. The chicks can run and practice their flying and they and their mother can see the flock, the flock sees them and knows they're there, but the chicks get extra protection from predators, other flock members, and unseen hazards, and the mother hen gets a chance to have a little break before she takes her babies out into the bigger world.