Chicks on top of heat plate

[Devorah]

So my 2.5 week old chicks are all fighting to roost on top of the heat plate. No one wants to go underneath - it’s about 80 degrees in the great room where we are keeping the brooder. I just turned off the heat because I think they are trying to tell me something.

Did I do the right thing?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

They might be. If it is 80 degrees in the room they are probably getting hot.

 

[Devorah]

They might be. If it is 80 degrees in the room they are probably getting hot.

Thanks very much for your response!

 

[RoyalChick]

So my 2.5 week old chicks are all fighting to roost on top of the heat plate. No one wants to go underneath - it’s about 80 degrees in the great room where we are keeping the brooder. I just turned off the heat because I think they are trying to tell me something.

Did I do the right thing?

Yup - they are too hot!
Mine started doing that around the same time and it was about 73 in the room. Initially they would go sort of under but mainly just outside the plate and then they discovered that the top was pretty comfy.
I ended up putting a cardboard tray on the top with wood shavings in it and they liked that a lot.

 

[Devorah]

Yup - they are too hot!
Mine started doing that around the same time and it was about 73 in the room. Initially they would go sort of under but mainly just outside the plate and then they discovered that the top was pretty comfy.
I ended up putting a cardboard tray on the top with wood shavings in it and they liked that a lot.

Oh thanks. Great idea! No wonder they were pushing each other off! So glad I can still use a bit of common sense.

 

[RoyalChick]

Oh thanks. Great idea! No wonder they were pushing each other off! So glad I can still use a bit of common sense.

I got lucky in that the cat food I buy comes on trays that are a bit bigger than the heat plate but not by a lot. I cut holes for the legs of the plates that stick up and it sat nicely on top and made a nice little nest for them.

 

[Devorah]

I got lucky in that the cat food I buy comes on trays that are a bit bigger than the heat plate but not by a lot. I cut holes for the legs of the plates that stick up and it sat nicely on top and made a nice little nest for them.

Once you have a need, you see things differently!

 

[NightingaleJen]

I got lucky in that the cat food I buy comes on trays that are a bit bigger than the heat plate but not by a lot. I cut holes for the legs of the plates that stick up and it sat nicely on top and made a nice little nest for them.

That is a great idea and I may have to steal it!

 

[raingarden]

will this fit?

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

will this fit?

This works great for mine! I love my heater plate and the top really helps keep it clean.