Pseudo Brooder Heater 'Plate'

K0k0shka said:

I was inspired by aart to make a brooder plate like this, but I made some modifications that got rid of the need for a towel (or pillow case, or press-n-seal, or other such things that other people use for their MHPs). Instead of a rack, I use a wooden board. Plywood, OSB, real wood, whatever you have lying around. Then just bungee the heating pad to the underside of the board, and you're all set! They can walk and sit on top of the board and you don't worry about them pooping on it. Nothing for you to wash but the fabric case that the heating pad comes in, at the end when you're done with the setup, but that won't have poop on it - just chick dander - so you can put it in the washing machine without your husband freaking out I washed mine together with the kids' clothes. The kids' clothes were much dirtier and had all kinds of bodily fluids on them, so...

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ForrestMamaBear said:

my husband said it’s not sanitary to launder chick pooped towels - am I missing something? I suggested using towels and washing them but he said HECK NO how do you launder yours? Bleach?

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ForrestMamaBear said:

So your design has the wood heating up? Would that get warm enough for baby chicks?

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ForrestMamaBear said:

So your design has the wood heating up? Would that get warm enough for baby chicks? We’ve started on a design with a cage and scrap wood to make the arch. Just need to get the heating pad and maybe configure something in addition

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K0k0shka said:

The wood doesn’t heat up at all. The pad is on the underside of the wood and the chicks touch the pad directly. I’m on my second batch of chicks with this design and it works great!

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ForrestMamaBear said:

You don’t worry about it burning them?
would they move before that happened even if they were sick?
I don’t have any sick in my flock but after working 5 years as a vet tech and seeing many patients with burns from heating pads I worry about direct contact

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K0k0shka said:

Not at all like the one aart mentioned getting up to 110 degrees. I can keep my hand on it and it feels pleasantly warm, not hot.

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ForrestMamaBear said:

after working 5 years as a vet tech and seeing many patients with burns from heating pads I worry about direct contact

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aart said:

Have you ever used an infrared therm to check surface temp?

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FamChicks said:

Thanks for sharing your idea! Do you have the link to the heating pad you used?

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