Continuously Active?

[rosemarythyme]

It is not an egg incubator. It’s a brooder for up to 20 chicks. I have heard several people say it is insufficient for the first week or two by itself but okay after. We previously used it exclusively with chicks but we have never had keets.

No experience with keets so I don't know what their temp requirements are.

For chicks a heat plate should be sufficient (and if it's not sufficient, I don't quite understand the point of using it, as it's not doing the job). When you touch it, does it feel warm to you? My heating pad never gets more than warm now but it was still fine brooding chicks outdoors from high 40s to 60s. What is your ambient temperature where the brooder is at, without the heat lamp?

 

[Blue Raptor]

If you have a secondary heat source, turn off that red light at night time and turn it back on in the morning so they know what time is sleepy time. if they chirp alot at night it will go away with a few days. just make sure they got a heat source. they don't need 24/7 light.

We use a small animal heating pad. Be sure to place them on it so they know where the warmth is. That way you can turn lights off and on whenever you want.