Help! We need Recommendations/Thoughts on these items for chicks?

[RoosterML]

Like I said in my previous post. "I just make a hot spot and lots of cool space. Just like a hen."

A mother hen doesn't make all ambient air 90F and the chicks don't need it. They run around in cool air most of the time and run under her for a quick warm up when they get chilled.

I get that, my question is with what or how do you make that hot spot?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

For smaller broods, I use a Premier 1 heat plate.
For larger broods, I use an Ohio brooder with a ceramic heat emitter at both ends. The wattage will depend on the temperature in the building. If it is winter, I'll go with 200 or 250 watt. If it is warmer, I use 75 to 150 watt.

 

[RoosterML]

For smaller broods, I use a Premier 1 heat plate.
For larger broods, I use an Ohio brooder with a ceramic heat emitter at both ends. The wattage will depend on the temperature in the building. If it is winter, I'll go with 200 or 250 watt. If it is warmer, I use 75 to 150 watt.
View attachment 1635522

Got it thanks,

 

[aart]

For smaller broods, I use a Premier 1 heat plate.

So, @ChickenCanoe , do you adjust your plate height to match chicks backs or leave it higher??
Ever had to shove 'em underneath at first?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I usually keep mine a little higher than the chicks backs. They can't stand up to full height in their dome but they wouldn't be able to touch their backs to it in the front and they usually don't go all the way back.

But I have definitely had to shove chicks under it to get them to learn. I've had chicks spend a couple hours chilly and sad running around before I go see them piling and peeping in a corner in distress as far from the heat mat as possible. So I take a few at a time and hold them under the mat until the peeping stops. Usually if a few of them get it, they all catch on... So these days when I am "showing" the chicks their food and water on day one by dipping their beak in and poking at the food (like ya do), I also place them under the heat mat so they know it's warm. Just part of the normal routine in case there's a problem and they don't like the mat for some reason.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So, @ChickenCanoe , do you adjust your plate height to match chicks backs or leave it higher??
Ever had to shove 'em underneath at first?

I usually go a bit higher but sometimes I have multiple age chicks together.
If there are just 2 or 3 chicks, I try to regulate height more closely but when there are more I don't fret it too much.

 

[Doc7]

I found with my first batch of 6 chicks, what I did was:
- open the box and count 6 chicks.
- take a bunch of photos in the next 10 seconds because man chicks sure are cute
- pick up one chick from the box at a time and peck her beak against the nipple waterer, verifying I see her take a drink.
- put her under the heat pad and hold her in the for 10 seconds or so.
- repeat 5 times
- close the door to the coop and leave them alone

I hung out outside in the nice day, waiting for an hour before providing food. About 20 minutes later I could heard one cheeping quite loudly at one second intervals and figured out I was hearing what people refer to as a distress peep. I looked through the window and saw 1 chick standing on top of MHP. Her buddies had all disappeared! I showed her they were under the MHP getting warm. She quietly joined them.

After that, no issues!

 

[Mach 1 Padilla]

For smaller broods, I use a Premier 1 heat plate.
For larger broods, I use an Ohio brooder with a ceramic heat emitter at both ends. The wattage will depend on the temperature in the building. If it is winter, I'll go with 200 or 250 watt. If it is warmer, I use 75 to 150 watt.
View attachment 1635522

dang over kill. I keep my chicks in a box inside for 2 weeks then put them in a caged coop with water and food and that's it until they are 2 months old. Never lost a chick,. this is all during summer months though.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

dang over kill. I keep my chicks in a box inside for 2 weeks then put them in a caged coop with water and food and that's it until they are 2 months old. Never lost a chick,. this is all during summer months though.

I get you. But I brood year round and have done up to 100 chicks at a time. You need that overkill when doing so in an unheated/uninsulated building in December.

 

[RoosterML]

@ChickenCanoe mind if I ask what you do with all those hungry mouths?