Best way to keep 30 chicks warm outside in Michigan now?

[Dominicker Esquire]

Thanks for the advice

 

[RoosterML]

@Dominicker Esquire
Do not take this the wrong way but the way you have your heat lamps set up is likely the cause of most fires from heat lamps.
Please secure better here is an option.
Drill a hole in 3 spots of the lamp edge as shown and run a small chain connecting all of them to one spot. That clamp can not be trusted alone. Now between the clamp and the chains together you have a “safer” setup.
Here is a photo of what I would do.

 

[Dominicker Esquire]

@Dominicker Esquire
Do not take this the wrong way but the way you have your heat lamps set up is likely the cause of most fires from heat lamps.
Please secure better here is an option.
Drill a hole in 3 spots of the lamp edge as shown and run a small chain connecting all of them to one spot. That clamp can not be trusted alone. Now between the clamp and the chains together you have a “safer” setup.
Here is a photo of what I would do.
View attachment 2065366

@Dominicker Esquire
Do not take this the wrong way but the way you have your heat lamps set up is likely the cause of most fires from heat lamps.
Please secure better here is an option.
Drill a hole in 3 spots of the lamp edge as shown and run a small chain connecting all of them to one spot. That clamp can not be trusted alone. Now between the clamp and the chains together you have a “safer” setup.
Here is a photo of what I would do.
View attachment 2065366

@Dominicker Esquire
Do not take this the wrong way but the way you have your heat lamps set up is likely the cause of most fires from heat lamps.
Please secure better here is an option.
Drill a hole in 3 spots of the lamp edge as shown and run a small chain connecting all of them to one spot. That clamp can not be trusted alone. Now between the clamp and the chains together you have a “safer” setup.
Here is a photo of what I would do.
View attachment 2065366

I use a brooder plate, not a heat lamp. But before I got the plate, I used 150 wt ceramic.
I would remove this partition. And put the heat in the back left corner. And add chains and secure the chains high on the wall using a metal hook that is threaded into the upper framing.
You can also remove the 2x4 and turn it 90 degrees so you can still use the clamp for the original fastening of the lamp.
View attachment 2065281

This is the hardware cloth I purchased but I built a large run and needed to enclose it. I bought three rolls.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C89QJU0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You can either secure it using fender washers and screws or hammer in 3/4" poultry staples. You can do the initial attachment using a pneumatic staple gun but those staples are completely in adequate for permanent secure attachment. They pull out with heat/thaw cycles.

Thanks for the advice on attaching the heat lamps
What brooding plate do you use now? For how many chicks? Sorry about all the questions?

 

[RoosterML]

I made my brooding plate from two heating pads. Cheap and safe to run. I had a post someplace before on what I use with pictures. I’ll see if I can link it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since you have 30 chicks I would stick with a heat lamp (properly secured, as others have mentioned above) as heat plates and pads are more limited in number of birds they can accomodate. But yes the chicks are going to outgrow that space very fast - it's a nice brooder set up, but max I would only have up to 15 4-week-old birds in there

 

[Dominicker Esquire]

Since you have 30 chicks I would stick with a heat lamp (properly secured, as others have mentioned above) as heat plates and pads are more limited in number of birds they can accomodate. But yes the chicks are going to outgrow that space very fast - it's a nice brooder set up, but max I would only have up to 15 4-week-old birds in there

I removed the center divider and secured the lamps with wire. Looks a lot better! Thanks now I know I have to get on the coop

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I removed the center divider and secured the lamps with wire. Looks a lot better! Thanks now I know I have to get on the coop

Build bigger! Good luck!