Sweeter heater in brooder

[cryhase123]

I thought this might be helpful for people looking for reviews on the sweeter heater for the brooder as I couldn't find one when I was researching. I keep the sweeter heater about five inches off the ground. I also have a light on since they are in the garage. The chicks took right to it. They stay under it and get nice and toasty and then come out, eat, drink, flap their mighty wings, and peck at each other. After a while they go back under the heater to warm up again. At about 8 or 9 at night I turn off the light and they get all quiet and cozy under the heater and then pass out. In the morning I turn the light back on and they all dart out from under the heater and attack the food and water. I have 13 Australorp under the 11" ×11" and it seems perfect. I don't know how well it would do in truley cold conditions, but it works wonderfully in the ones I have now.

 

[brookePA]

I bought 2 to warm my coops in winter since we had -36 temps the last few years. My oldest girls are about 6 and I didnt want to find frozen hens in the morning!
They LoVe the sweeter heaters. I hang one over the roost tall enough so they can fit under. In my smaller coop I mounted it sideways near the floor. The girls curl up near it. The work on radiant heat so they can't get burned on it. I Ike that its all sealed and easy to clean. It was well worth the money.
I used them in lieu of heat lamps with both my batches of baby chicks this spring. They loved it too!

 

[Shezadandy]

I got the 11x40" because ultimately it will go in a big coop. Had to adjust my brooder set up because it was keeping my 2x2x4 100 gallon tank at 95 degrees from 2 feet up on test runs, no cooler areas for chicks to escape the heat. I wound up putting the stock tank on its side and putting down a well-scrubbed rubber mat and cardboard walls for the first week or so.

Important things to know - burn off the plastic smell, give it several runs prior to use. Even after you think you don't smell it anymore, run it again. The different sizes of Sweeter Heater give DIFFERENT wattage, from mypetchicken.com under product description:

"11" x 11" : 32 watts, 2 lbs, heats a maximum of 22-25 chicks
11" x 16" : 50 watts, 4 lbs, heats a maximum of 32-35 chicks
11" x 30" : 100 watts, 6 lbs, heats a maximum of 60-65 chicks
11" x 40" : 150 watts, 8 lbs, heats a maximum of 80-85 chicks"

Everyone seems quite happy and I'm not chewing finger nails over fire danger!!!

 

[Scotty from BI]

Can you line the bottom with a towel so when they push up against it, they don't burn themselves. It says it goes to 185 degrees.

 

[vantain]

I got the 11x40" because ultimately it will go in a big coop. Had to adjust my brooder set up because it was keeping my 2x2x4 100 gallon tank at 95 degrees from 2 feet up on test runs, no cooler areas for chicks to escape the heat. I wound up putting the stock tank on its side and putting down a well-scrubbed rubber mat and cardboard walls for the first week or so.

Important things to know - burn off the plastic smell, give it several runs prior to use. Even after you think you don't smell it anymore, run it again. The different sizes of Sweeter Heater give DIFFERENT wattage, from mypetchicken.com under product description:

"11" x 11" : 32 watts, 2 lbs, heats a maximum of 22-25 chicks
11" x 16" : 50 watts, 4 lbs, heats a maximum of 32-35 chicks
11" x 30" : 100 watts, 6 lbs, heats a maximum of 60-65 chicks
11" x 40" : 150 watts, 8 lbs, heats a maximum of 80-85 chicks"

Everyone seems quite happy and I'm not chewing finger nails over fire danger!!!

I just got the 11x40 for my new chicks we are getting tomorrow. What height did you find works best for new chicks? I was told 5”, but the thermometer probe I put under it shows 100 degrees when ambient temperature is 45.

 

[Shezadandy]

I just got the 11x40 for my new chicks we are getting tomorrow. What height did you find works best for new chicks? I was told 5”, but the thermometer probe I put under it shows 100 degrees when ambient temperature is 45.

Apologies for the long reply time. Spouse working from home = very limited computer time unless it's super late (like now). Anyhow - What I did- and I'm so so sorry to leave you hanging like that - what I did was do a high side and a low side, so when I mounted the Sweeter Heater, I attached mine to a sawhorse. The low side was around 3-4 inches off the ground and the high side went to around 6 - then as they grow I pull it up accordingly. The biggest hints on that are what the chicks do. If they're running around happy and ducking under to warm up and/or nap, you've got it right. If they're huddling together making unhappy noises, it might need to drop.

 

[Shezadandy]

Can you line the bottom with a towel so when they push up against it, they don't burn themselves. It says it goes to 185 degrees.

Chalk this one up to a long-lost thread - I've never had a chick burn itself. This was my very first group of baby chickens in 2015- I can't count how many I've raised using my Sweeter Heater, but 4 1/2 years later, no issues ever with chicks getting burned and my unit has held up marvelously!!! As in my last post, I learned to make a high side and a low side so they could choose their perfect spot. I've used the Sweeter Heater in my coop in December after a week or so of close observation in the house -- with no issues- of course the key is ensuring there isn't a draft blowing through- but also making sure any chick can exit the heated area when it needs to.

Edited to add: Definitely don't use a towel in between the chicks and the heater. And another good option is an MHP (momma heating pad) - I've found using the heating pad cave for the really little bitty chicks gives a nice start- usually I'm raising 8-10 in a group, so transitioning to the Sweeter Heater when they don't quite fit under my MHP (around 10-15 days old) is the natural transition. Some have expansions for their MHP designs- if I didn't have the Sweeter Heater, I would mess with that some more.

 

[vantain]

Chalk this one up to a long-lost thread - I've never had a chick burn itself. This was my very first group of baby chickens in 2015- I can't count how many I've raised using my Sweeter Heater, but 4 1/2 years later, no issues ever with chicks getting burned and my unit has held up marvelously!!! As in my last post, I learned to make a high side and a low side so they could choose their perfect spot. I've used the Sweeter Heater in my coop in December after a week or so of close observation in the house -- with no issues- of course the key is ensuring there isn't a draft blowing through- but also making sure any chick can exit the heated area when it needs to.

Edited to add: Definitely don't use a towel in between the chicks and the heater. And another good option is an MHP (momma heating pad) - I've found using the heating pad cave for the really little bitty chicks gives a nice start- usually I'm raising 8-10 in a group, so transitioning to the Sweeter Heater when they don't quite fit under my MHP (around 10-15 days old) is the natural transition. Some have expansions for their MHP designs- if I didn't have the Sweeter Heater, I would mess with that some more.

I ended up doing exactly as you did. It's angled. Interestingly, they prefer the cooler side. They are a week old now, and the temps on high side are around 80-85, where the low side measures around 92-97. Surprising to me, since everyone says they need 95 for the first week, but these little ones don't. The fun part today...they are now flying up to the top of the heater, and it is their new favorite place to hang out. Ha ha..go little ones...

 

[Shezadandy]

I ended up doing exactly as you did. It's angled. Interestingly, they prefer the cooler side. They are a week old now, and the temps on high side are around 80-85, where the low side measures around 92-97. Surprising to me, since everyone says they need 95 for the first week, but these little ones don't. The fun part today...they are now flying up to the top of the heater, and it is their new favorite place to hang out. Ha ha..go little ones...

Yes, the patented chick move, up on top of the heater! The 95 degrees for the first week is "one of those things" - as long as they've got a nice warm spot, their entire environment doesn't need to be anywhere near that warm. Being cold is not good, of course, but the 'peeps of despair' in such circumstances make it clear if they're uncomfortable.

I'm lucky that broody hens do most of my chick rearing these days, but once or twice a year one will walk away leaving me with babies to raise with the MHP and Sweeter Heater. Watching what the babies do all day with a hen - even in cold weather - they certainly don't stay under momma hen all day!

One group, by week 2 or so- in the fall - decided they would sleep in the opposite corner of my in-coop brooder area, all in a pile. I piled straw up around them to make sure it wouldn't get drafty once they were settled in. But, first thing in the AM they'd be back under the Sweeter Heater. I'm guessing it's because at night (and I LOVE not having 'light-addicted' chicks - they go to bed and sleep all night!!) everyone wants to sleep, then in the morning after the stretch, eat and drink, they're done cuddling but need the heater during the coldest hours.

 

[vantain]

Yes, the patented chick move, up on top of the heater! The 95 degrees for the first week is "one of those things" - as long as they've got a nice warm spot, their entire environment doesn't need to be anywhere near that warm. Being cold is not good, of course, but the 'peeps of despair' in such circumstances make it clear if they're uncomfortable.

I'm lucky that broody hens do most of my chick rearing these days, but once or twice a year one will walk away leaving me with babies to raise with the MHP and Sweeter Heater. Watching what the babies do all day with a hen - even in cold weather - they certainly don't stay under momma hen all day!

One group, by week 2 or so- in the fall - decided they would sleep in the opposite corner of my in-coop brooder area, all in a pile. I piled straw up around them to make sure it wouldn't get drafty once they were settled in. But, first thing in the AM they'd be back under the Sweeter Heater. I'm guessing it's because at night (and I LOVE not having 'light-addicted' chicks - they go to bed and sleep all night!!) everyone wants to sleep, then in the morning after the stretch, eat and drink, they're done cuddling but need the heater during the coldest hours.

Yep..that’s been my experience too. They sleep all night long with no complaints. The temps here dropped quite a lot overnight last night, and the brooder was about 78-80 this morning. They were not huddled, and were not complaining. They are 12 day’s old. I checked on them a few times during the night, and they were always sound asleep. They have already breached my 16” brooder wall...they love flying up on top of anything they can reach.