Chicks being Burnt?

[chipens]

Hello, so i have my chicks with a brooder heat plate they go under. And some have lil sores on there backs/wings. Are they being Burnt? Is this common with these brooder plates.
I keep raising the heat plate but don't want to raise it too much in case they get cold.

 

[le_bwah]

That heat plate looks a bit low to me, but it might be the angle. They shouldn't have to duck down too far to get under it, and should have the option of not touching the heat source when they're resting under it. If they're cold, they'll stand up tall to press their heads/backs to the plate.

 

[Incubating4life]

That heat plate looks a bit low to me, but it might be the angle. They shouldn't have to duck down too far to get under it, and should have the option of not touching the heat source when they're resting under it. If they're cold, they'll stand up tall to press their heads/backs to the plate.

Thats how I feel too.

 

[Latestarter]

I agree with previous posters. The heat will radiate down from the plate and they should not have to actually touch it to benefit from it.

 

[chipens]

Ok thanks! i will lift it a bit more, its only the second time using it, bit of a trick working out the right hight. Is there a type of guide somewhere?

 

[le_bwah]

Ok thanks! i will lift it a bit more, its only the second time using it, bit of a trick working out the right hight. Is there a type of guide somewhere?

If you bought yours new, it should have come with a guide. Regardless of what brand you went with, there are guidelines that all of them use. Chicks should barely have to duck to get under the plate. If they can't reach it when they stand up tall, or if they're all huddled in a clump under the middle, it's too high. If they have to crouch to move around under it, or if they're all hanging around the perimeter and not actually going under, it's too low.

For the most part, you just have to go by what the birds are doing.

 

[chipens]

If you bought yours new, it should have come with a guide. Regardless of what brand you went with, there are guidelines that all of them use. Chicks should barely have to duck to get under the plate. If they can't reach it when they stand up tall, or if they're all huddled in a clump under the middle, it's too high. If they have to crouch to move around under it, or if they're all hanging around the perimeter and not actually going under, it's too low.

For the most part, you just have to go by what the birds are doing.

Thanks for that! I got mine second hand and didn't hav any info with it.

 

[le_bwah]

I agree with previous posters. The heat will radiate down from the plate and they should not have to actually touch it to benefit from it.

Actually, it does work mainly through contact. The key is not being in contact all the time. When you hold your hand under one, even centimeters away, it hardly feels warm, but when you press against it the heat feels almost too hot. It's just right for young chicks, though. Just like the underside of a real mama hen, the plate gives off heat through conduction.

 

[imnukensc]

If seeing the picture correctly, it's much too low. It needs to be adjusted upwards so that the chicks' backs (not their heads), when they're fully standing up, just touch the bottom of the plate.