Feeling overwhelmed by heating options... opinions?

[Meglin]

Hi everyone, I am a first time chicken "owner" and am currently incubating 7 chicks in my classroom. Tomorrow will be day 22 and one started pipping today.

My eggs are at the school I work at and we will be keeping the chickens at our school when they're ready to go outside. I have already set up a brooder, but after reading through this website, I'm getting nervous and feeling a bit overwhelmed about the best, safest option for these chicks. Right now I just have a large plastic tote with some pine shavings, food/water setup that I got from the feed store, and a heat lamp. I first bought a 60 watt bulb and then picked up a 250 watt because I wasn't sure which one would work better. Now I'm reading about using heating pads or seedling starter mats; people are claiming they are safer and better for the chicks.

My concern is that I will be leaving the chicks alone for 14-15 hours a day when I'm not at work. Which heating option do you find to be the best, safest, and most consistent with ensuring the chicks won't be too cold? My classroom is usually between 72-76*F. Thank you for the advice!

 

[Birdinhand]

I've done my share of heat lamps and now the mother heating pad. I wouldn't freak out, I know it's easy to get stressed especially the first time. the mother heating pad really is, IMHO, the safest and easiest and healthiest thing for your chicks, especially if you are going to be leaving them for extended periods. just read up on how to set it up, it's a bit more involved than just throwing in a heat lamp, but so so much better in the long run. the issue inside isn't usually having them get too cold, it's having them over heat. the key with the heating pad is getting one that allows you to bypass/turn off the auto off function, so that it heats continuously, the sunbeam one pictured in the MHP thread is great. check out the first couple pages of the MHP thread, it will get you started, then check out the last few pages. it works, for reals! https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

 

[junebuggena]

The absolute safest method for your situation would be a momma heating pad. There is absolutely no chance of chicks getting over heated (biggest problem when brooding in storage tub with heat lamp), and there is much less chance of fire hazard.
Yes, they need a way to warm up when needed. But they also need a way to get away from the heat. Storage tubs are too small to let the heat from the lamp to dissipate, creating a sort of oven effect. The biggest mistake most people make when brooding chicks is keeping them way too warm. With the momma heating pad, the chicks are in control of just how much heat they get and when. It also allows them to develop a normal day/night cycle.

 

[ChickNanny13]

MHP is safe & easy, won't be going back to heat light!

 

[Folly's place]

The Premier1supplies.com heating plate is made for this, and works great. I agree that a heat lamp and plastic tote isn't the best combination, but everything needs to be set up NOW so you have time to regulate the temperature in there, no matter what you use. If a heat lamp, forget about the clamp and double or triple attach it (with a chain!) to a fixed overhead object.
You should be able to overnight ship from Premier, and as a school project, ask for help! Mary

 

[lazy gardener]

Kudos to you for doing such a school project, and kudos to your school system for allowing the chickens to stay as a very important part of the curriculum. You can get a lot of teaching mileage out of those birds. If you have a few minutes later on, please share how the birds will be housed, and how they will be used in your "teaching".

I absolutely would not use a heat lamp, no matter what the wattage in your situation. Huge fire risk. I'm actually surprised if your school policy would allow it b/c of the fire risk. A MHP is by far the safest option. Very easy to set up with a little McGuiver ingenuity. All you need is a wire frame, some small bungee cords, and some fabric, in addition to a heating pad with an over-ride feature for the auto-off feature. I use a Sunbeam XPress XL.

I'd urge you to get your students involved in making the MHP frame and cover.

Also, keep in mind that the chicks double in size every week. A tote might work ok for the first week, but by the time the chicks are 2 - 3 weeks old, they will need about 2 s.f. in the brooder per chick. Also, if you have any students in your classroom with allergies, asthma, or reactive airway disease, you really shouldn't have the chicks in the classroom. The beauty of the MHP system is that it makes it super easy, and very safe to brood them outdoors, right in their coop. This is best for both humans and birds. For the humans b/c it eliminates the dander that will coat all surfaces in your classroom. For the birds b/c they brood right in their coop, which eliminates an adjustment period. Chickens HATE change!!!

 

[debid]

250W is too much heat for room temperature brooding and with a tote, you do risk building an oven. Those bulbs are really meant for a 25 chick shipment being brooded in an unheated barn. Some use a lamp dimmer cord to dial it back, I just used a lower wattage bulb, myself.

Since they are hatching today, you're going to have to use what you have available at the moment. But, I built a MHP in a couple hours from junk I had laying around and a $13 heating pad. I found it much less stressful to use than dealing with bulbs. Watching the chicks treat it like a hen was also rewarding.

 

[~KH~]

I also vote for the Premier heat plate. I would feel better about leaving that unattended for that many hours than a heating pad personally. I used a heat lamp previously and now that I've used the heating plate, it's so much easier!

I bought my Premier heat plate from Amazon and they should be able to ship one day.

 

[Meglin]

Thank you SO MUCH for all your advice! I looked at the price of heating pads (we don't own one) and the price for the pad was almost as much as the heating plate, so I just ordered it from Amazon and paid for the one day shipping. Thanks so much for helping ease my mind!

I will create another post outlining our plans for keeping the chickens at school and how it is tied into our curriculum. I teach middle school science so the kids are learning about mitosis and cell division through the chicks and how they will grow into chickens. They are presenting a basic lesson on cells to our K-4 students next week to bring in younger students.

 

[Birdinhand]

here is an awesome video on the daily stages of embryo development, I showed it for my daughter's class when I made a "cooler-bator" from scratch and brought in a candler every week. it's a really well done video: