diy chick heat mat

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

so i am making a portable chick tote seperate from my brooder. I took a heat mat and wraped in an old towel and supported it on a hardware cloth arch. the infared temp gun is saying 110 f on high with the ambient temp beign 77 f on high, on medium it reads with the heat gun reading about 105. is 105 good? the chicks are a week old and all are bantams.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Likely too hot. It’s often recommended to be 95 for the first week, 90 the second, and continuing to drop each week. My chicks found 90 to be too hot. At 4 weeks they stopped using the Mama Heating Pad, and sort of dismantled it. The weather is much warmer, so that makes a difference.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

They will only be using it for 3 hours

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I’m not an expert; I have just done a lot of reading. But I don’t know how long it’s safe to keep them too warm. If they can escape the heat, it shouldn’t be a problem, right? And one can watch for the signs of overheating.

I’d try taking its temperature on low, to see. That might be perfect.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

so i am making a portable chick tote seperate from my brooder. I took a heat mat and wraped in an old towel and supported it on a hardware cloth arch. the infared temp gun is saying 110 f on high with the ambient temp beign 77 f on high, on medium it reads with the heat gun reading about 105. is 105 good? the chicks are a week old and all are bantams.

They will only be using it for 3 hours

Too hot. Your chicks will overheat.
Why would you only be using it for 3 hours? Are you transporting them?

 

[KhandiKane]

Hi, I have been searching for a thread regarding proper temps. It is late here and I would love some advice so I can get some much needed sleep. I have 12 day old chicks, they are in a setup literally five feet from my bed. The temp in there is showing 68, which was the temp all day today. They are snuggled together and don’t seem distressed or uncomfortable. I keep reading they should be at a much higher temp right now, should I put them somewhere I can use the heat lamp? I was worried about them being too hot. Thanks in advance.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi, I have been searching for a thread regarding proper temps. It is late here and I would love some advice so I can get some much needed sleep. I have 12 day old chicks, they are in a setup literally five feet from my bed. The temp in there is showing 68, which was the temp all day today. They are snuggled together and don’t seem distressed or uncomfortable. I keep reading they should be at a much higher temp right now, should I put them somewhere I can use the heat lamp? I was worried about them being too hot. Thanks in advance.

Behavior is a very good indicator as to whether your chicks are comfortable or not.
Are they moving about eating/drinking fairly active or staying snuggled together all the time?

If they are not peeping in distress, then they are probably fine at that temperature.

 

[KhandiKane]

Behavior is a very good indicator as to whether your chicks are comfortable or not.
Are they moving about eating/drinking fairly active or staying snuggled together all the time?

If they are not peeping in distress, then they are probably fine at that temperature.

Thank you. All are doing great. I decided to move them back to the heat lamp setup, just to be safe. This is my first time with chicks this young. I appreciate the advice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you. All are doing great. I decided to move them back to the heat lamp setup, just to be safe. This is my first time with chicks this young. I appreciate the advice.

I would watch to make sure they are not overheating. They need room to be able to get away from the heat if necessary. Better for them to be a little cool instead of too hot.

 

[KhandiKane]

I would watch to make sure they are not overheating. They need room to be able to get away from the heat if necessary. Better for them to be a little cool instead of too hot.

Perfect, thank you. They have enough space to move out of the light, and since I wake every couple hours anyways I will keep checking the temps. Really appreciate your time, this can be quite nerve wracking for a newbie.