Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

[debp]

I have a heat-plate related question. I have the large Premeir plate for now 23 birds. I was using a heat lamp in addition to the heat plate for the first week - there was still plenty of room to get to cooler part of the brooder. Then I weaned them off the heat lamp, first using it only in the coldest hours of the morning, and now at just over 3 weeks, I don't use it at all - just the heat plate. The chicks still retreat to it periodically during the day, and they sleep all night in the dark under it, then waking up and going crazy at daybreak. This all seems very natural to me, and they seem to be doing well. They still take periodic siestas under the plate during the day.

Now, I am planning to move them to the coop in the next week or 2 depending on feathering and temps. They seem to still fit under the large plate now, but I worry they may not fit well in another week or two, so I am not sure what to do in the coop to provide adequate heat (it is a metal sided coop with dirt floor, and I plan to use the deep litter method). It gets into the 30s here at night and will continue to do that for quite a few weeks (we are in the mountains). I have a red heat lamp, so I am thinking I should use that, maybe in addition to the heat plate when I first move them out to the garage. I would wait longer to move them, except my brooder is not going to be big enough for much longer. My question for this thread is, will I mess up their wonderful sleeping habits or freak them out by using a red light through the night in the coop for a while? Oh, and I am considering moving the fully feathered part of the flock out earlier than the laggers (I've posted that question in another thread) - in which case, I would have only the heat lamp for the outside coop. I have no existing flock. This will be the first chicks in the coop.

 

[SIMZ]

Has anyone else tried the heat plates (Premier or Brinsea) with a large batch of Cornish X meat chicks? We bought two of the Large Premier 1 heat plates this year to use for a batch of 100 meat chicks. I also got one of the smaller Premier heat plates & just recently used it with the 31 layer chicks I hatched for the Easter HAL. They loved it and I have 16 still using it with no problems at 1 wk old (the other 15 were adopted by a broody hen out in our layer coop.)

Thursday morning this week we picked up our shipment of 100 Cornish X at the P.O. It was a very cold morning (27ºF) and the chicks were quite chilled when we picked them up. There were two chicks DOA and one more almost dead that we had to put down. A LOT of the live chicks were very weak and lethargic, compared to batches of chicks we have received in other years. We dipped all their beaks in water and then gently pushed them under the heating plates, which had been on all night to get properly warmed. We have a large brooder setup in one side of our garage which is 8 x 16 divided down the middle (plywood walls). We put 50 chicks in each half of the brooder with one large Premier heat plate and 2 waterers & feeders per side.

We had to keep checking on the chicks all that first day and directing them back to the heat plate as they were not used to it yet, but finally we started seeing them go in on their own. We also had a bit of trouble getting the plates at the right height level so the chicks could fit under the edge, but it wasn't too high in the middle (pine bedding).

Well, later in the afternoon we found several more dead chicks under the heat plates on each side, and we had to put down a few more really weak chicks that were dying. The next morning (yesterday) there were 5 or 6 more dead chicks, again under the heat plates! We kind of expected some, because of how weak they were on arrival, but now we started to wonder if the plates were partially to blame. We even switched one side to a heat lamp to see if that made any difference, but still had a couple of remaining weak chicks die that day.

Last night we thought we were near the end of the weak chicks. The one side of the brooder was looking good - the chicks were running around and eating and going under the plate themselves. The other side still had two obviously weak chicks, but otherwise looked ok. We did go ahead and put the second heat plate back in before dark, and all chicks were under the plates before we went to bed.

This morning when my brother checked, he found NINE more dead chicks under the plates!

5 on one side and 4 on the other!!! The rest of the chicks seemed fine, and were running about and eating. Several of these new dead chicks did not look like they were small or weak ones and they had food in their crops. My brother wondered if they could have suffocated? He did notice the chicks seemed to like lining the outer edge of the heat plate last night. Could some have gotten stuck in the middle and suffocated? I would think there would still be airflow through there...

The hatchery has offered to replace or credit us for the dead chicks. They said it was 70ºF when they shipped out the chicks and the next morning it dropped in temperature and they had snow! So they hadn't packed them for that cold of temperature and much more of the holes in the shipping box were open. But I am wondering if it is all their fault or if the heating plates are causing some of the deaths?

Just for anyone wondering about stats -

It looks like they sent 106 chicks originally.
After 24 hrs we were down to 82 chicks.
Last night there were 47 on one side & 35 on the other side.

Temperatures have gotten up to 60's during the day, and 40's at night in the garage.

Anyone else have any experience with heat plates and meat chicks? We are really frustrated and depressed here, thinking it might be the heat plates' fault...

We really wanted to save on electricity with these, but they are causing suffocated chicks...

What do you all think?

Wow -- so sorry for all of your losses. I'm guessing you may have lost quite a few already because of them being chilled during shipping - especially since the hatchery told you that. Then I tend to agree with the others that the middle chicks may be suffocating and squished by the others. Large groups of meat chicks tend to totally smash together like that when cold or whatever.

I think you have a good idea to start them with a heat lamp. Although, honestly, I (personally) don't think I'd even try the plates with a large batch of meaties like that. Mostly because I see how they pile up and I try to keep a few heat lamps for them to keep them from smashing together anywhere.

I hope things start looking up for you!

 

[what did I do]

Has anyone else tried the heat plates (Premier or Brinsea) with a large batch of Cornish X meat chicks?  We bought two of the Large Premier 1 heat plates this year to use for a batch of 100 meat chicks.  I also got one of the smaller Premier heat plates & just recently used it with the 31 layer chicks I hatched for the Easter HAL.  They loved it and I have 16 still using it with no problems at 1 wk old (the other 15 were adopted by a broody hen out in our layer coop.) 

Thursday morning this week we picked up our shipment of 100 Cornish X at the P.O.  It was a very cold morning (27ºF) and the chicks were quite chilled when we picked them up.  There were two chicks DOA and one more almost dead that we had to put down.  A LOT of the live chicks were very weak and lethargic, compared to batches of chicks we have received in other years.  We dipped all their beaks in water and then gently pushed them under the heating plates, which had been on all night to get properly warmed.  We have a large brooder setup in one side of our garage which is 8 x 16 divided down the middle (plywood walls).  We put 50 chicks in each half of the brooder with one large Premier heat plate and 2 waterers & feeders per side. 

We had to keep checking on the chicks all that first day and directing them back to the heat plate as they were not used to it yet, but finally we started seeing them go in on their own.  We also had a bit of trouble getting the plates at the right height level so the chicks could fit under the edge, but it wasn't too high in the middle (pine bedding). 

Well, later in the afternoon we found several more dead chicks under the heat plates on each side, and we had to put down a few more really weak chicks that were dying.  The next morning (yesterday) there were 5 or 6 more dead chicks, again under the heat plates!  We kind of expected some, because of how weak they were on arrival, but now we started to wonder if the plates were partially to blame.  We even switched one side to a heat lamp to see if that made any difference, but still had a couple of remaining weak chicks die that day. 


Last night we thought we were near the end of the weak chicks.  The one side of the brooder was looking good - the chicks were running around and eating and going under the plate themselves.  The other side still had two obviously weak chicks, but otherwise looked ok.  We did go ahead and put the second heat plate back in before dark, and all chicks were under the plates before we went to bed. 

This morning when my brother checked, he found NINE more dead chicks under the plates!   5 on one side and 4 on the other!!!  The rest of the chicks seemed fine, and were running about and eating.  Several of these new dead chicks did not look like they were small or weak ones and they had food in their crops.  My brother wondered if they could have suffocated?  He did notice the chicks seemed to like lining the outer edge of the heat plate last night.  Could some have gotten stuck in the middle and suffocated?  I would think there would still be airflow through there...  :/

The hatchery has offered to replace or credit us for the dead chicks.  They said it was 70ºF when they shipped out the chicks and the next morning it dropped in temperature and they had snow!  So they hadn't packed them for that cold of temperature and much more of the holes in the shipping box were open.  But I am wondering if it is all their fault or if the heating plates are causing some of the deaths? 

Just for anyone wondering about stats -

It looks like they sent 106 chicks originally. 
After 24 hrs we were down to 82 chicks. 
Last night there were 47 on one side & 35 on the other side. 

Temperatures have gotten up to 60's during the day, and 40's at night in the garage.

Anyone else have any experience with heat plates and meat chicks?  We are really frustrated and depressed here, thinking it might be the heat plates' fault...    We really wanted to save on electricity with these, but they are causing suffocated chicks...

What do you all think?

I've been using the 20 and 50 heat plates for 5 days now and for awhile I ran my Brinsea 20 next to the 50. There is only an ever so slightly difference in the amount of heat the three put out. The heat plate is warmer but not drastically hotter. Just the way I have my 50 setup should have killed the chicks if it was too hot but the chicks are thriving. Maybe tomorrow I can get a pic of my bad setup. I think your problem lies elsewhere.

 

[what did I do]

If the Heat Plate was too hot these chicks would be dead but they are thriving. I know this is not a good setup, it is just temporary.

 

[1muttsfan]

Just unpacked a new Premier 50 brooder, and the instructions are in Dutch and German - but not in English

. Can someone post the basics for me? I have chicks that need to go in the brooder today. Thanks!

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Just unpacked a new Premier 50 brooder, and the instructions are in Dutch and German - but not in English .  Can someone post the basics for me?  I have chicks that need to go in the brooder today. Thanks!

There should be like 4 different languages, I think English is on the back. I don't have mine on hand right now, but it says something about taking an hour to warm up (it really takes longer than that) and I believe mentions something about cleaning an how it simulate a mother hen. Hopefully someone am go into more detail for you. But really all it tells you to do is plug it in

 

[what did I do]

Just unpacked a new Premier 50 brooder, and the instructions are in Dutch and German - but not in English .  Can someone post the basics for me?  I have chicks that need to go in the brooder today. Thanks!

Is there British English on there. Some of the words are spelled a little different but you can make it out. It took me awhile to figure it out.

I think it just says to plug it in. I don't think it gives very much in the way of instructions. If I find my booklet I'll see what it says.

 

[ladycat]

No instructions needed. Just plug it in and start using it.

 

[1muttsfan]

Mine came with 2 pages of instructions, unfortunately both were in the same 2 languages, neither was English. Looks like a packing error. I was hoping more more guidelines on things like how high to set it.

 

[racinchickins]

You want the bottom of the plate to be even or slightly lower than the chicks back when they stand up. This allows the chick to decide how close they want to get to the heat source.