Figuring out my chick's normal behaviour.

[ValerieJ]

You're a good chick mom staying up all hours of the night with them! I'm starting dinner so my responses are a bit slow. If it seems like I dropped the thread, I didn't.

 

[NorwayBrahma]

Dad to be exact
Everything seems to be going the right way. Again, thanks a lot for your help!

 

[ValerieJ]

Dad to be exact
Everything seems to be going the right way. Again, thanks a lot for your help!

My pleasure! I have received so much help on this site! Happy to pass it on. Sorry about the gender thing.

 

[NorwayBrahma]

Haha no problem

 

[aart]

You don't measure the heat under a plate the same way you measure heat under a heat lamp.
The plate needs to be low enough for them to touch their backs against it.

66 is fine for ambient temp.
I do use a 100w heat over the feeding station(only during the day) for the first few days to make sure they are eating/drinking/moving well.

Here's a nice informative post about using a heat plate:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...my-brooder-plans.1293399/page-6#post-21053270

 

[NorwayBrahma]

That's really useful, there's not much info from the manufacturer's side.

 

[ValerieJ]

I think the behavior of the chicks indicated they were not warm enough under the plate. Like I said, my chick wouldn't touch the plate because it burned him. It looked like a torture chamber with him trying to touch it to get warm and then jumping away, over and over again. So I see them trying to keep each other warm with their body heat rather than touching the heat plate.

Hope the heat lamp is working better for them.

 

[NorwayBrahma]

I think the behavior of the chicks indicated they were not warm enough under the plate. Like I said, my chick wouldn't touch the plate because it burned him. It looked like a torture chamber with him trying to touch it to get warm and then jumping away, over and over again. So I see them trying to keep each other warm with their body heat rather than touching the heat plate.

Hope the heat lamp is working better for them.

Yes, it is working better the chicks are calmer and more active. I will try the heat plate with the next batch, but inside another room where is significantly warmer.

 

[aart]

my chick wouldn't touch the plate because it burned him.

Well, that's another issues altogether, there have been several incidences of this with a specific brand of plate, usually solved with a rheostat.

I will try the heat plate with the next batch, but inside another room where is significantly warmer.

Ambient temp is not the issue here.

 

[ValerieJ]

Yes, it is working better the chicks are calmer and more active. I will try the heat plate with the next batch, but inside another room where is significantly warmer.

Yay! Happy chicks!