Is my brooder plate enough?

[NatJ]

I just felt bad picturing 3 newborn chicks in a wire cage in the middle of a garage. Maybe if he posted a picture it wouldn't seem so cold. I'm in Wisconsin vs. Florida, so big difference there too!

I was assuming a solid floor to the "all wire" brooder. With a heat plate to hide under, and some bedding underneath, I would expect the chick to be fine. If there seem to be drafts, it could make sense to put cardboard on some sides of the cage during the first week or so, then watch the chicks' behavior to decide when to remove them.

If the brooder really does have a wire floor, then putting something on the floor is a good idea, so the chicks have a surface to keep their bellies warm as they sleep. A piece of cardboard or wood can work for that, preferably with some bedding for them to snuggle into while they sleep.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Now it's getting cooler out (North Florida, some nights getting in the 40s) and I am worried the plate won't be enough, especially with such a small group. I wanted to test it out and put a wifi thermometer under the plate in the garage. it's currently 60 degrees Fahrenheit outside and 84.7degrees Fahrenheit under the plate. I don't think this is warm enough since google says 95 degrees for day old babies.

Your temperatures are not a problem. I routinely use a mama heating pad in the 40s without issue, outdoors.

As NatJ mentioned the bigger problem is possibly the brooder plate is not designed to work in the 40s, so you need to verify that first. You can heat the area to raise the ambient temperature up to the minimum required for the plate to work (usually around 50F, again you need to verify against your plate instructions).

Or if you're not willing to "sacrifice" your heating pad get a cheap one like Debbie292d did. MHPs don't have the same ambient temperature requirement as a brooder plate has.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I was assuming a solid floor to the "all wire" brooder. With a heat plate to hide under, and some bedding underneath, I would expect the chick to be fine. If there seem to be drafts, it could make sense to put cardboard on some sides of the cage during the first week or so, then watch the chicks' behavior to decide when to remove them.

If the brooder really does have a wire floor, then putting something on the floor is a good idea, so the chicks have a surface to keep their bellies warm as they sleep. A piece of cardboard or wood can work for that, preferably with some bedding for them to snuggle into while they sleep.

Thanks. The bottom is open so it will sit on a plastic dog crate tray covered in pine shavings. There shouldn’t be drafts unless someone opens the garage, but we’ll be especially careful of avoiding that on cold days when they are really young. And again, cold here is very mild in comparison to other parts of the country/world.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Your temperatures are not a problem. I routinely use a mama heating pad in the 40s without issue, outdoors.

As NatJ mentioned the bigger problem is possibly the brooder plate is not designed to work in the 40s, so you need to verify that first. You can heat the area to raise the ambient temperature up to the minimum required for the plate to work (usually around 50F, again you need to verify against your plate instructions).

Or if you're not willing to "sacrifice" your heating pad get a cheap one like Debbie292d did. MHPs don't have the same ambient temperature requirement as a brooder plate has.

Thank you. I may just go ahead and order that heat pad to have on hand just in case. If I don’t end up needing it for the chicks I’m sure there will be a sore muscle in the family needing it in the future.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Read the label or instructions for the brooder plate you have. Many of them say not to use it under some particular temperature (60 degrees or 50 degrees or maybe something else, depending on the brand.)


You can use a space heater to heat that area of the garage, to get it warm enough to use the brooder plate you have.

Once the chicks are a bit older, they do not need as much warmth, so at some point you will probably be able to turn off the space heater and they will be fine with just the brooder plate (this is likely to happen sometime between 1 week and 4 weeks, earlier or later depending on what your outdoor weather does and how that affect your garage temperature). At some point later yet, they will be big enough and feathered enough to do without any heat, and you can remove the brooder plate at that time (this will likely happen between about 4 weeks and 8 weeks, but can be earlier or later because your weather might change or you might have chicks that grow their feathers extra-fast or extra-slow.)

My first flock went outside at 3-4 weeks but it was June. This time I’m planning to let them outside (separate from the big girls) on warmer days once theyre fully feathered, but will bring them back to the garage until they’re big enough for the coop and big enough for the overnight temps. We do occasionally get into the 30s overnight here. I’m guessing I’ll use the garage cage as a sort of nursery coop once they’re a little older. Once they’re about a month old do you think I should stop heating in the garage overnight? Let them adjust to the cold so they’re ready for outdoor nights?

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I just felt bad picturing 3 newborn chicks in a wire cage in the middle of a garage. Maybe if he posted a picture it wouldn't seem so cold. I'm in Wisconsin vs. Florida, so big difference there too!

It’s this. I wanted something that could double as a broody hen hotel if I need in the future. The floor will be a plastic dog crate tray and plenty of bedding. I have a bird mirror and plan to put a stuffed animal in there too. And really if they seem sad I’ll run to tractor supply and grab some extra chicks. I have a friend who would take pullets off my hands if I needed

I Promise I won’t let them be sad.

 

[NatJ]

Once they’re about a month old do you think I should stop heating in the garage overnight? Let them adjust to the cold so they’re ready for outdoor nights?

Yes, something like that.
I would do it in stages:
First stop the space heater but leave the brooder plate.
Then a week or two later unplug the brooder plate but leave it in place so they can snuggle underneath.
Then after a bit you can remove the brooder plate too, maybe a week or so after you unplugged it.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

Do most people use heat lamps?

 

[NatJ]

Do most people use heat lamps?

Some years ago (decades by now), heat lamps were the default.
Brooder plates, and heating pads shaped into a cave-like space, are much more recent inventions.

My impression is that brooder plates are mostly used by people new to chickens (so no previous experience) and by people who did use heat lamps but then had a bad experience so they switched.

I think the people most likely to use heat lamps now are the ones who already have some experience with heat lamps, and who have not had problems.

Where you raise the chicks, and how many chicks, also make a big difference.
Heat lamps are good at providing large amounts of heat to a large area. This is good when raising large numbers of chicks, or raising chicks in cold conditions, or both. Brooder plates are good at providing smaller amounts of heat to a small area.

If a few chicks are in a plastic tub inside a human house, a heat lamp will easily overheat the chicks and kill them (or if it doesn't kill them, minor levels of overheating makes them more prone to some kinds of problems.) A brooder plate is a much better choice in that situation (or move the chicks to a bigger brooder, or use a smaller light bulb in the heat lamp.) That is a common situation with people new to chickens.

Obvious exceptions to all of that:
--chicks raised with a broody hen do not need any of those other heat sources.
--other heating methods may be good choices for any situation with very large numbers of chicks (over about 200). Those other methods can be ignored by most people with backyard flocks.

 

[ltcffl03]

I'm in Ocala, and the plate wasn't enough for mine, I had to put a red heat lamp on as well,