Heating plate for new chicks

[EmilyPosten]

I picked up six new chicks about two hours ago. I set everything everything up prior to getting them. I am using a heating plate from Rent A Coop. The instructions say the chicks should be sitting and not peeping. They are quiet, bit still standing. Should I lower the plate more or take the plate away and use a 250 watt bulb in the heating lamp? Should I go back to the plate in a few days/weeks? Thank you in advance for your advice.

Emily

 

[DobieLover]

I picked up six new chicks about two hours ago. I set everything everything up prior to getting them. I am using a heating plate from Rent A Coop. The instructions say the chicks should be sitting and not peeping. They are quiet, bit still standing. Should I lower the plate more or take the plate away and use a 250 watt bulb in the heating lamp? Should I go back to the plate in a few days/weeks? Thank you in advance for your advice.

Emily

Lower one pair of legs a notch so they can adjust where they want to be under the plate. They will do fine.
What are you feeding them? I'd like to suggest this as a chick waterer as it keeps the brooder dry and the water clean.

 

[EmilyPosten]

Purina medicated starter. I really like your waterer. Where can I buy one?

 

[KrystinaMayKennedy]

I used that exact heating plate and a heat lamp for the first 2 weeks. I never felt like the plate was hot enough. I also kept mine on an angle.

 

[DobieLover]

Purina medicated starter. I really like your waterer. Where can I buy one?

I made it from a plastic sports bottle with a flip top and a vertical nipples. I got a pack of 4 nipples at TSC and the sports bottle for 50 cents at Salvation Army. You just drill a hole in the bottom of the bottle, wrap 3 turns of Teflon tape around the threads and carefully thread it into the bottom of the bottle. I suspend it on a chain and hook and just raise it a link at a time as the chicks grow.

 

[EmilyPosten]

I used that exact heating plate and a heat lamp for the first 2 weeks. I never felt like the plate was hot enough. I also kept mine on an angle.

I thought about using both the plate and the lamp, but I didn't know if that would have been too much. I removed the plate and tried the lamp. A few have fallen asleep. They appear to prefer the lamp. I thought about lowering the plate more like DobieLover said and maybe having the lamp on off to the side. What do y'all think?

 

[DobieLover]

I used that exact heating plate and a heat lamp for the first 2 weeks. I never felt like the plate was hot enough. I also kept mine on an angle.

You don't need the lamp. Just toss a towel over the top of the plate so it drapes down over the back and sides. I raised 15 chicks like that in my built-in brooder in the coop. When the chicks were 5 days old, they awoke to a 23F morning and they were dashing back and forth between the plate and the food. They did great.

 

[EmilyPosten]

You don't need the lamp. Just toss a towel over the top of the plate so it drapes down over the back and sides. I raised 15 chicks like that in my built-in brooder in the coop. When the chicks were 5 days old, they awoke to a 23F morning and they were dashing back and forth between the plate and the food. They did great.

Thank you! I will try that!

 

[DobieLover]

I thought about using both the plate and the lamp, but I didn't know if that would have been too much. I removed the plate and tried the lamp. A few have fallen asleep. They appear to prefer the lamp. I thought about lowering the plate more like DobieLover said and maybe having the lamp on off to the side. What do y'all think?

I think you should put them back under the plate with a towel over it as described above. It's much more close to the natural way chicks stay warm. These pictures were taken with frost on the ground.