Heat plate questions

[imnukensc]

Turn the heat lamp off now. With the plate, there's no need for a heat lamp.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They are currently in our shop and the heat lamp that we have installed as well seems to keep some of them laid out under that and some under the brooder.

when can I stop doing the heat lamp and the brooder? I would like them to get used to a sleep schedule.

You don't use a heat lamp with a heat plate, chicks need a cool place to escape to when they don't want heat. Using a red or white bulb heat lamp also keeps them up at night instead of having a natural sleep cycle, so there's another reason to turn that off.

I haven't used a plate (I use a pad) but you can probably raise it once a week as they grow. You'll eventually notice the chicks spending less time under it overall, and that's how they're weaning themselves off it.

 

[flygirl1973]

You don't use a heat lamp with a heat plate, chicks need a cool place to escape to when they don't want heat. Using a red or white bulb heat lamp also keeps them up at night instead of having a natural sleep cycle, so there's another reason to turn that off.

I haven't used a plate (I use a pad) but you can probably raise it once a week as they grow. You'll eventually notice the chicks spending less time under it overall, and that's how they're weaning themselves off it.

Yeah I had hoped not to use the light at all, but it was so cold when they arrived that I felt I needed to keep their little space quite warm, it was 29 the first night they spent with us. It was chilly enough that day I was worried after 2 hours they hadn’t left the brooder for food or water. I also have a gas heater to warm up the whole shop and I found even with the heat lamp, without the external heater they would still all crowd into the brooder. I obviously didn’t leave the gas heater on all night so I warmed it up best I could and left the heat lamp on for the remainder of the night - it’s a shop and fairly insulated but no heat or anything. It’s supposed to get to freezing this weekend I think but we’ll see about just leaving the brooder plate then too I guess? Thanks!

 

[aart]

Nothing wrong with using a heat lamp over the feed and water station during the day when using a heat plate/pad.
I do it even inside for the first couple days after hatch.
They do still need a cooler place tho.

 

[ronott1]

Yeah I had hoped not to use the light at all, but it was so cold when they arrived that I felt I needed to keep their little space quite warm, it was 29 the first night they spent with us. It was chilly enough that day I was worried after 2 hours they hadn’t left the brooder for food or water. I also have a gas heater to warm up the whole shop and I found even with the heat lamp, without the external heater they would still all crowd into the brooder. I obviously didn’t leave the gas heater on all night so I warmed it up best I could and left the heat lamp on for the remainder of the night - it’s a shop and fairly insulated but no heat or anything. It’s supposed to get to freezing this weekend I think but we’ll see about just leaving the brooder plate then too I guess? Thanks!

The heat plate, if it is like the one from premier, works to freezing temperatures.

The plate heats the chicks and not the brooder. When the chick is cold, it will push up into the heat plate. That helps the chick develop and they will often stop using the heat plate within three weeks!

I do leave a regular light on for them during the day but no heat light. One of the other good things about the plate is it lets them have a day and night cycle.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Turn the heat lamp off now. With the plate, there's no need for a heat lamp.

X2, don't use the lamp

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I'm using the premier brooder plate for the first time and I love it. These chicks are less crazy than my RIR's last year. And they are feathering out much faster. When they are laying down with only part of their bodies under the plate, I raise it up a notch.

 

[ronott1]

I'm using the premier brooder plate for the first time and I love it. These chicks are less crazy than my RIR's last year. And they are feathering out much faster. When they are laying down with only part of their bodies under the plate, I raise it up a notch.

Perfect!

The day and night cycle helps them develop and be more calm.