Heating pad instead of heating lamp

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kelly77

kelly77

Songster
7 Years
Jul 20, 2012
538
18
108
We just bought 2 baby chicks, they are 3 weeks old. It is summer here in NH and our chicks are inside no AC and in my bedroom so with dropping temps at night they need to stay warm. I tried sleeping with the lamp on and it was to bright...we donot have a red lamp. So I thought of using a heating pad...They are in a tote with shavings so what I did was place the pad under the plastic tote on Med so it is not directly in the tote. It works so good...keeps them warm and I don't need to fear I am going to cook the chicks. They are so content.
 
Actually, I'm curious about this as well. I have a 4 week old chick who will start sleeping in a cage in my daughter's room at night. I was going to put a waterproof bag around the pad and put the pad over 1/2 the floor so she could get away from the heat as needed. I'm also going to put a thermometer on the pad to make sure the temperature is regulated at all times.

I'd love to hear the input of some of the more seasoned chicken owners on this topic!
 
I'm sure it would work.

I'm not a fan of using a heating pad unless it was under the brooder. I'm so afraid of fires starting inside the house. The chicks scratch and peck at the bottom, therefore pecking the heating pad. Plus they will poop on it.

Setting a heavy object on the heating pad scares me too.

I use a white 120watt white light. I secure it tightly in the corner of the brooder. It's worked out well for me and I'm on my 4th brood of chicks in the last year.:D
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Red bulbs are fairly cheap and easy to use. A heating pad I'm sure would work, but it would take playing with and would be hard to get at the right temp for the chicks each night. I recently got a 2 pack of red bulbs for about $8 I think at Tractor Supply. It's cheaper to get 2 than to get the single bulb, if you decide to do that.

Oh, also, I have used a heating pad before. I have a deformed chick hatch, and nowhere warm to put him other than in the brooder with the others, which I couldn't do. I set a heating pad under a cardboard box and put a towel in the box. It was too warm and I had to play with it for so long, I didn't get the temp right before my dad got home to cull the Baby. That being said, I'm sure it can be done. Just be careful you don't overheat them.
 
Well these chicks are 3 weeks old and the heating pad is not directly in the tote ..It is under it so floor-heating pad-then the heat goes threw the plastic of the tote. It is working for night when I am sleeping...but before lights out they do use a lamp
 
Kelly, what are the temps in your house? I'd think in summer with no AC, by 3 weeks old a chick wouldn't need supplemental heating, esp in a smaller area like a tote. If you're 65-70 degrees or warmer, do them a favor and turn that lamp off, chances are they're too warm. A chick hatched by a broody in similar weather will be spending almost all of the day out from under momma at this age.
 
kelly77 said:
Well these chicks are 3 weeks old and the heating pad is not directly in the tote ..It is under it so floor-heating pad-then the heat goes threw the plastic of the tote. It is working for night when I am sleeping...but before lights out they do use a lamp
Click to expand...
I'm so glad it's working.:D
 
We live in a basement apartment so much cooler then most apartments. I am watching their body language and am here all day so its not like they are getting to hot or to cold.
 
Just make a cave out of something that would hold some of their body heat and ditch electric heating. If you want to put a bottle of hot water in with them that would be enough.

My dd left a plastic coffee container in with my chicks that were born the end of June and that is all they need on most nights. They are out in a makeshift coop.
 

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