Heating plate concerns

[Lillycat918]

Hey everyone! I am a new chick mom and I ended up getting 5 baby chicks from tractor and supply. Three of them are about 1 1/2 weeks old and the other 2 are about 2 1/2. I ended up getting a heating plate rather than a lamp because of safety concerns (house fires, etc). The chicks love it and used it frequently, but are now not using it as much as I think they should. I guess my question is, when do they stop relying on the plate? I get nervous and do not want them to get too cold while I am not home (I watch them through a camera, crazy I know). They will go for an hour or so without getting under it.

 

[annampet]

Not an expert but I'm also using a heating plate for this batch for the first time. I was worried at first too but from what I've observed over the last three weeks is that they will use it when they need it.
I used a cardboard box over my heating plate for the first few weeks to try to mimic a cave and to keep some of that heat in. It made me feel better about it

 

[Cyprus]

This is normal and good

 

[ZooAtHome]

I am a nervous, new chicken mom, too, so I completely understand your concern. In fact, I bought not one but two brooder plates in case one konked out on me. I keep them set to slightly different heights because I have a mixed brood ranging from 1 1/2 to 3 weeks old.

The room my brooder is in stays around 70-73 degrees during the day, cooling down slightly at night. Most of my chicks spend the majority of their time out and about, only running under the plates occasionally to warm up a bit. Sometimes, they choose to sit on top of the plates where it is only slightly warm instead of going under. They all tuck themselves underneath them at night though.

While I am certainly not an expert, from what I am seeing with my chicks, I would say staying out for an hour or even longer is normal, unless your ambient temperature is really chilly. As long as they are going under it now and then and appear to be eating, drinking and acting healthy when they are out, they are probably fine. I'm sure more experienced members will chime in soon though, hopefully confirming this.

 

[Lillycat918]

Ok, great! Maybe I am just a little paranoid.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hey everyone! I am a new chick mom and I ended up getting 5 baby chicks from tractor and supply. Three of them are about 1 1/2 weeks old and the other 2 are about 2 1/2. I ended up getting a heating plate rather than a lamp because of safety concerns (house fires, etc). The chicks love it and used it frequently, but are now not using it as much as I think they should. I guess my question is, when do they stop relying on the plate? I get nervous and do not want them to get too cold while I am not home (I watch them through a camera, crazy I know). They will go for an hour or so without getting under it.

Try to remember that they know more about being chickens than we do. The key sentence in your post that stood out to me was they are not using it "as much as I think they should" .
Those who have never had the privilege of watching a broody hen raise a batch of chicks are unfamiliar with the natural and rather early weaning process of the chicks from their heat source, their mother. Within the 1st couple of weeks the chicks begin to do exactly as yours are which is spend less and less time under the warmth of their mother and more and more time out adventuring in the big bed world. As they become chilled they quickly ducked under the mom get a very fast warm up and run right back out to get on top being chicken's. They do sleep under her at night, as yours probably do with their brooder plate.Interestingly, this becomes more about comfort than warmth in a lot of ways, as even once it is turned off you will find that they may huddle under it at night for sleeping because that is what they associate with security.
My chicks raised with self regulating heat sources such as a mama heat had are generally not using the heat anymore as early as 3 weeks in temperatures well below what most parts of the country are currently seeing

 

[Ridgerunner]

See if this makes you feel better. My brooder is built into my main coop. I put chicks in it straight from the incubator or the post office, whether the outside temperature is below freezing or it's full summer. Sometimes there is ice in the far end of that brooder but the other end is toasty warm. I find those chicks straight from the incubator do a great job of finding their comfort zone as long as you give hem the option.

Trust your chicks, they know what they are doing much better than any of us.

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[MNchickaroo]

I agree with everyone, the chicks will let you know with their behavior how they're doing. And as long as they're moving about and seem content, and not crowding by the plate, they're doing just fine.
We use a lamp, and apart from sleeping times, they are pretty much all over the brooder, scratching, eating and being chick-like, I don't think you have anything to worry about, good work!

 

[debid]

So many good answers already! Just wanted to say