Brooder heat plate in coop - update

[HensInTheForest]

Lows in the 30s highs in the 40s first day with 4 day old chicks, brooder set up in coop with heat plate no heat lamp. Coop was around 45 overnight once the door closed.

They are fine!

First night very quiet they stayed under the plate, then when the hens got up and out they came out the next morning they ate and drank then back under the plate as normal sleeping and gentle peeping.

I am bringing them out warm water every 3 hours during day as the hot shot pads on the bottom did nothing as expected. The base container is getting cold. I have no other means to keep water at room temp and don't want to add a heat lamp in my coop. I do have a heating pad I could add somehow to the deal trying to figure that out.

So for those needing extra encouragement this plate is just fine at these temps! It's the Premier One plate.

Lows coming at us in 4 days will be 12 so that's what I'm looking at next to troubleshoot any changes . .

Happy chicks!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Please have a backup or secondary heat source set up and don't depend solely on that heat plate. Outlets trip, cords come loose, mice chew, and heat plates malfunction.I just read a thread somewhere here this morning about someone who was trying to revive her ducklings, after the cord came loose and they were without heat overnight.

I can see in the photo that I have the exact same brand of heat plate as you. That heat plate could not get up to temp when the outdoor temperature dipped near 30-degrees. It had power, light was on, but it felt only a little warm - not enough. Chicks were screaming. It happened one night only, and has been fine since - but that's maybe because I added a heat lamp AND a small oil-filled panel heater in the coop with them (I do not trust that plate now), so the room temp stays a bit more tolerable and they use the plate overnight and when they need a quick warm-up.

I'm not positive that the ambient temperature dropping is what caused the malfunction - but it's a good possibility. Just....... please get a backup ready. Just in case.

 

[HensInTheForest]

Please have a backup or secondary heat source set up and don't depend solely on that heat plate. Outlets trip, cords come loose, mice chew, and heat plates malfunction.I just read a thread somewhere here this morning about someone who was trying to revive her ducklings, after the cord came loose and they were without heat overnight.

I can see in the photo that I have the exact same brand of heat plate as you. That heat plate could not get up to temp when the outdoor temperature dipped near 30-degrees. It had power, light was on, but it felt only a little warm - not enough. Chicks were screaming. It happened one night only, and has been fine since - but that's maybe because I added a heat lamp AND a small oil-filled panel heater in the coop with them (I do not trust that plate now), so the room temp stays a bit more tolerable and they use the plate overnight and when they need a quick warm-up.

I'm not positive that the ambient temperature dropping is what caused the malfunction - but it's a good possibility. Just....... please get a backup ready. Just in case.

Good advice thanks!

We have cooler temps coming in a few days I will likely grab something at the feed store tomorrow.