2 week old silkies not using using brooder plate much anymore

[shadowbanned]

I have the room at 75 degrees. Is this normal or is there maybe something wrong with the heat plate? They seem to be pretty happy.

 

[nuthatched]

Does it feel like there's something wrong with the heat plate? Do you have a thermometer?

 

[shadowbanned]

No, there's nothing wrong with the heat plate. And it is the kind that actually gets hot. My other heat plates don't even get hot to the touch. I think some of them are using it at night. There is 18 of them. I'm using one of those cheap "coops" as the brooder because it's useless for outdoors. We made the ramp less steep and they go in and out. I lock them in at night just to train them for the big coop. We have a lot of predators so I can't risk it. I lock them in at dusk and let them out at sunrise, everyday.

 

[Tahai]

I used a brooder plate last year for the first time. The chicks spend less time under it than you would expect, especially if you are used to a heat lamp. They DO use it though, so don't take it out.

Something to consider: are you tilting one side up higher than the other, and raising it a notch or so every couple of days? You want the lowest side to be just touching the back of the smallest chick when laying down, and you want the talles side to be touching the head of the largest chick when standing up. This will allow every chick to find it's best zone.

The chicks run under, get warm, then come back out to play, just as they would do with a mother hen. I found my plate-raised chicks feathered out a lot faster than my lamp-raised chicks, and were more hardy and prepared for temp fluctuations when I put them outside.

I took my brooder plate out at 4-5 weeks, as my chicks were all well feathered at that time. I kept them inside the brooder in the basement a couple more weeks, where it was temp controlled. They were outside by 8 weeks. (your situation will vary based on your location)

 

[shadowbanned]

The plate I have only has 3 settings but I do keep one side higher. I'll try going up again. I never used a lamp and I can't remember how old my last flock was when I put them out. They were very hardy.

I live in the mountains in AZ. It's still in the upper 20s low 30s at night. I have some 4-5 wk old ayam cemanis that will be the first to go out. I think the weather should be way better in a month or so.

 

[Yardmom]

You mention the room is 75 degrees. Then you mentioned a little coop. The temperature in the little coop may be warmer than the room temperature if the chicks are shut in.

 

[shadowbanned]

Yeah, we cut out the lid of the "nesting box" and lined it with hardware cloth for more airflow. Maybe it's just that they aren't cold lol and you're right it's probably warmer than 75 in there with the plate and all the chicks.