Mama heating pad cave for 20 chicks

[McChooky]

Do you mean this DIY construction? :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/
It looks kind of tricky imho to make your own cave but I have no experience what so ever.

The ones you can buy in my country are not actually caves but plates. And they come it different sizes.

I bought a heat pad and made a cave for my baby chicks 2 years ago and added a black ceramic heat bulb too so they had both but the pad wasn't warm enough so they never used it.Its in my closet now

 

[McChooky]

I would put the heating pad in the category of an electric blanket you have to hug to stay warm where radiant heat allows the chicks to stay warm from a distance like a fireplace.
Clamp Lamps with guards and insulated porcelain sockets are safe to use with ceramic heat bulbs provided they're suspended properly with strong wire. Most hatcheries won't issue a refund if the chicks aren't provided heat lamps.To be safe its best to check their policies

 

[McChooky]

You'd likely need two of them, to prevent crushing incidents.

X2

 

[C4r0l4]

The cave shape could be a problem for that many chicks.

With a broody hen, chicks can go under her from all sides, and can get back out on all sides if they are feeling crowded.

A brooder plate (flat thing on legs) can let chicks go under from all sides, and get out on all sides.

A heat lamp can let chicks go in and out of the warm area from all sides (unless it's in a corner, then they only have two sides to go in and out, but that is still quite a lot of space to go in and out of.)

But with a cave that is closed everywhere except the back, you have a risk of chicks in front squishing chicks in back, and the ones in back being trapped with no way out. Then the back ones can get killed by squishing or by overheating. This would not be a problem with a small number of chicks (plenty of space for the back one to get past the other few), but I would be concerned that 18-20 chicks could be a dangerously large number for this setup.

Having two caves could help with keeping all the chicks warm, but will not help much with the smothering issue. They might all try to go into one cave at the same time. Chicks tend to copy each other and stay in groups, so I think there is a pretty good chance they would all try to go into the same one.

I can't say for sure whether it will work for you or not, just mentioning the details I would be most concerned about. Actually watching the chicks will give you much more information than predictions made by some person on the internet, but of course that doesn't help with setting up before they arrive.


I agree, definitely check the policy of the hatchery.

There is a good reason to use heat lamps for newly-arrived chicks instead of any other heat source.

The chicks arrive cold, thirsty, hungry, and confused. If you put them under a heat lamp, they can warm up and drink and eat all at the same time. If they wander off, they are attracted back by the light and by the warmth. Because it makes a circle of warmth, hottest in the middle, they can easily move to spots that are a bit warmer or a bit cooler.

With any of the heating pad or brooder plate ideas, a chick can choose to get warm, or it can choose to eat and drink, but it cannot do both at the same time. After a few days, when they have recovered from being shipped, that is not a problem. But when they first arrive, they need to get warm right away and they also need to eat & drink very soon. Being able to do all those things at the same time can be a big help.

A heat lamp also puts out much more heat than most heating pad or brooder plate setups. Shipped chicks can arrive badly chilled, so they need much more heat to get warm again. Once they are fully warm and fed (a day or two later), they do not need as much heat to stay warm. But that extra heat right at the beginning can make a difference.

It makes the most difference for the chicks that arrive in the worst shape. So chicks that arrive in good condition, running around and peeping and so forth, may be okay with a heating pad cave from the first day. But chicks that are in bad shape, may recover just fine under a heat lamp with food & water in the warm area, but might crawl under a cave and die there while trying to get warm and still being hungry and thirsty. Or if they can't stand up, they may not be able to get warm enough from a heating pad or heat plate (if they are expected to snuggle against it from underneath: standing up takes energy they may not have.) And if you pull them out and drip sugar water in their beaks, trying to give them more energy, then they are getting chilled again.

These points apply to chicks that have just been shipped. They do not apply to chicks that hatch under a broody hen, or chicks that just hatched in an incubator and did not get shipped, or chicks that were shipped to a store and spent several days recovering there before you got them.

Thank you! I appreciate your response.

 

[McChooky]

Baby chicks have no body fat and lose body heat fast. Whatever you use make sure the baby chicks have a stable heat source and don' crowd one another to stay warm or they'll suffocate and die. I only use heat lamps with baby chicks sorry

 

[BDutch]

Do you mean this DIY construction? :
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/
It looks kind of tricky imho to make your own cave but I have no experience what so ever.

The ones you can buy in my country are not actually caves but plates. And they come it different sizes.

 

[McChooky]

You aren't going to keep 20 baby chicks warm enough with one of those sorry

 

[McChooky]

It really doesn't need to be that hot, and if you had a heat bulb too they just chose the heat source they preferred. Doesn't mean the pad wouldn't have worked as the sole source of heat.

I wouldn't recommend a heating pad cave outdoors in zone 6 (un-insulated coop) I only used one as a back up heat source and my chicks weren't a bit impressed sorry

 

[McChooky]

Use what works for you. I have used a heat lamp before and it burned so hot it melted off the red coating - not good! But I do still keep it in reserve in case of emergency. Since OP was specifically asking about pads (I have no experience with plates, for example) I answered about pads.

The heat pad I purchased provides constant heat and does not shut off automatically. Comes in ex large size too (Amazon)

 

[McChooky]

That's was probably me...with a 12x24" flat pad....i wouldn't try with more than that.
I see later you mentioned using 2, put them as close together at the 12" ends.


@ChickensComeHome2Roost stop deluging threads with posts about your bad heating pad experience.
Start a new thread with lots of pics and ambient temps if you feel the need to warn others of some errors.

I wasn't bashing the use of heating pads in warm climates sorry if anyone took it that way.