Brooder heat plate question?

[Lori J]

Can a brooder heat plate effectively keep chicks at 95F when it’s 60F in the garage at night. Do I need to bring them inside? I know there’s a limit to how effective they are in lower temps.

 

[DobieLover]

Can a brooder heat plate effectively keep chicks at 95F when it’s 60F in the garage at night. Do I need to bring them inside? I know there’s a limit to how effective they are in lower temps.

They don't need to be at 95F.
I used a brooder plate out in the built-in brooder in my coop.
It was a 12"x12" and I tossed an old towel over it and pulled the towel down to the floor at the back and sides of the plate to help trap heat. It kept 15 chicks warm when it was 23F out so I don't think you will have a problem in the world with 60. I think for young chicks the towel helps it be more like a broody hen with her wings down around the brood so I always recommend using it regardless of the ambient temperatures.

 

[rosemarythyme]

60F should be well in range of what a brooder plate is designed for.

60F is also near the highs of when I brood my chicks outdoors, so really not cold at all even for young chicks, since they can warm up as needed with the plate.

 

[Iluveggers]

Your chicks should be fine at 65 with a plate!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Absolutely it can! You can put a thermometer under it for a bit just to see what the temp is. I bet you'll be surprised. It can get way to hot under there as opposed to not warm enough. For my recent chicks in same ambient temp, when my thermometer (I used a meat thermometer,) read *95 they were sleeping in front of it but wouldn't go under it so I turned it down til it was a balmy *80.