Heat plate placement

[TillyPeeps]

Wow. Thats really low, i have one side at 1.5 inches, the other 3, i guess I will lower the low side some more

They seemed loving it! I thought the plate is quite hot, but they loved to sleep against it when they were just a few day old. They moved to the higher side in a few days though, then I know it's time to raise it.

 

[troyak]

They seemed loving it! I thought the plate is quite hot, but they loved to sleep against it when they were just a few day old. They moved to the higher side in a few days though, then I know it's time to raise it.

So the high side would be 4 inches or so?

 

[aart]

Wow. Thats really low, i have one side at 1.5 inches, the other 3, i guess I will lower the low side some more

That should be fine.
Observe and adjust.
I agree that 4 sides open is a good idea.
Depending on ambient temps, it can be a good idea to have a heat lamp set up over the feed/water station the first day or so to observe that all are eating and drinking. That's what I do with a 75W red reptile bulb on a thermostat extension cord to adjust the heat at floor level.

 

[nuthatched]

Could you please explain why so many people on this forum successfully use heat plates if they "aren't typically warm enough"?

Some heat plates come with a warning to not use them in ambient temperatures below 50 Fahrenheit so some have limits. But like any other tool, if used properly they work really well.

Many people on here advise again them at first because they don't provide strong enough heat for just shipped chicks to recover ftom the shipping stress. Most heat plates require physical contact and most heat plate users don't use them properly, as you brought up, in environments that are too cold or set too high.

 

[m2wandc]

I have a heat plate that offers two settings…brooder & heating.

I never use the heating setting (wayyyyy hot for babies) That setting is more for below freezing temps in an adult hutch to heat the entire space.

So on the brooder setting, I have popped baby chicks (straight from the hatchery) into an outdoor hutch. I do not preheat as it reaches full heat within a few minutes. The lowest temp (outside) the outdoor hutch reaches is 38/40f at night. Days are typically in the 60/70s. To date no baby chicks have had issues. They cuddle under the heat plate set on brooder.

I did buy a cheap heat plate on Amazon (to help my bread dough rise in cold weather) and it is no where near the quality of my chicken brooder heat plate which was much more expensive. So if you plan to raise chicks yearly I suggest you get a quality heat plate ($50) not the ($15) version.

You can see the set up (ready for a cleaning because they poop all over the top of it once they can hop up on it.

The baby chick hutch is inside my teenager run.

 

[TillyPeeps]

So the high side would be 4 inches or so?

Yeah, that's what I have.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Many people on here advise again them at first because they don't provide strong enough heat for just shipped chicks to recover ftom the shipping stress. Most heat plates require physical contact and most heat plate users don't use them properly, as you brought up, in environments that are too cold or set too high.

Then say where they don't work. Your phrase "aren't typically warm enough" implies pretty strongly that they usually don't work.

A lot of us hatch our own so there isn't that much stress (shipping or otherwise) to start with. If a shipment is on time there is usually little to no shipping stress. Of course, there can be an exception to anything. If they are mishandled (most are not) there can be stress with a shipment on time. Still, if used properly, heat plates can work to help them recover from stress.

Where are your statistics that show that "most heat plate users don't use them properly, as you brought up"? By the way, I did not say that most people don't use them properly. I said there are certain circumstances where some models are not recommended. That being below 50 Fahrenheit for certain models.

When you look at the details, a blanket statement that they "aren't typically warm enough" just isn't correct. Too many people use them successfully.