First day home - sleep/water rotation/pasty butt

[rosemarythyme]

HI.
I was just wondering about the chicks being able to touch the radiant heater plate. This is my first time using one. It has a hi or a low temperature control so I was concerned about its accuracy. Outside of the heater registered at just a bit over 80 degrees but I couldn't get an accurate number from underneath. But I touched it to see how warm it was and if I held my hand on it more then a couple of seconds I felt like it could scorch my skin. They do gather under it at night so I'm hoping it's safe for them. I do have a couple of chicks who have been getting that pasty butt and some people were relating it to the chicks being too warm.
What do you think?

No need to take a temperature reading with a plate (and it's difficult to get one) as it's the surface temperature of the plate that matters, not the ambient temperature.

That said, if the plate feels too hot to the touch, I'd consider lowering it to the lo setting, and see how the chicks do - if they're upset by the lowered temperature, then turn it back up again.

What's the temperature like in the area outside of the plate? Pasty butt can still happen regardless of temperature, but it does seem to help make a difference to not have the chicks under constant high temperatures.

 

[jreardon1918]

No need to take a temperature reading with a plate (and it's difficult to get one) as it's the surface temperature of the plate that matters, not the ambient temperature.

That said, if the plate feels too hot to the touch, I'd consider lowering it to the lo setting, and see how the chicks do - if they're upset by the lowered temperature, then turn it back up again.

What's the temperature like in the area outside of the plate? Pasty butt can still happen regardless of temperature, but it does seem to help make a difference to not have the chicks under constant high temperatures.

Agree with not needing to monitor temperatures with a plate or MHP(Momma Heating Pad). Our chicks are about 1 week old. They have been out in the run for 3 days using a MHP , and they have just natural light. At some point last night the temperature got down to 40F. They were up exploring the brooder by 7am when we checked on them. The current temp in the brooder is 48F. We know the temperature only because we have a remote sensor we placed in the brooder to observe.

 

[gailbelanger]

No need to take a temperature reading with a plate (and it's difficult to get one) as it's the surface temperature of the plate that matters, not the ambient temperature.

That said, if the plate feels too hot to the touch, I'd consider lowering it to the lo setting, and see how the chicks do - if they're upset by the lowered temperature, then turn it back up again.

What's the temperature like in the area outside of the plate? Pasty butt can still happen regardless of temperature, but it does seem to help make a difference to not have the chicks under constant high temperatures.

The temperature outside the plate was around 82F.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The temperature outside the plate was around 82F.

Wow, quite warm then. Low setting on the plate should easily be enough, as long as the chicks don't protest.