How to keep your brooder a steady temp?

[MomFoldingLaundry]

Hey guys,

I’ve struggled repeatedly with brooder temperatures, Namely,the temperature shooting up because the sun comes out, or morning comes after a cool night.

You wouldnt think this would be a problem in Hawaii, where it really only varies between 70 and 83 degrees. But I just woke up to half my chicks having dug under their bedding to get out of the heat, and one very likely disabled from her effort, as she cant get her legs under her very well.

I use either a space heater or a heat lamp. Usually a space heater, which is probably the WORST option.

But is there a GOOD option anyone has found for this problem? Do heating pads overheat brooders, too?

 

[R2elk]

Hey guys,

I’ve struggled repeatedly with brooder temperatures, Namely,the temperature shooting up because the sun comes out, or morning comes after a cool night.

You wouldnt think this would be a problem in Hawaii, where it really only varies between 70 and 83 degrees. But I just woke up to half my chicks having dug under their bedding to get out of the heat, and one very likely disabled from her effort, as she cant get her legs under her very well.

I use either a space heater or a heat lamp. Usually a space heater, which is probably the WORST option.

But is there a GOOD option anyone has found for this problem? Do heating pads overheat brooders, too?

There are many options available for preventing brooders from over heating or from getting too cool. There are many different options available for temperature controlling units that you can plug in your heat source and they will turn the heat source on or off as needed. They come with a remote sensor which I would place at the bedding level in the brooder.

They are readily available on eBay or Amazon.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If it stays consistently warm, you might be able to get away with using those heartless heaters. You use half a bucket and glue felt and soft fabrics on the inside and they go underneath and their bodyheat helps them stay warm enough

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

Usually a heat lamp is enough for me. If you make the brooder big enough, they can choose the heat they need by moving to where they are comfortable. Just make sure the heat lamp is hot enough so that they can get warm if they choose to.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don’t know anything about quail - would a heat plate or mama heating pad work for them like they do chickens?

 

[Nabiki]

Is your brooder big enough for a warm and cool end? That's usually the best way. Have a heat lamp at the warm end, and the other end is far enough away that it's essentially no heat.

 

[MomFoldingLaundry]

Thanks guys. I went on Amazon and bought a real brooder, and a real chick heater. (brinsea.)

My husband is going into town today, and I may have him grab the brooder I saw at the feed store. I really should shave picked it up when I saw it. But live and learn.

My “box and a heater” method worked for so long with ducklings that I didnt think to upgrade. But I forgot—ducklings are way easier to keep alive than baby quail.

 

[MomFoldingLaundry]

It’s occurring to Me that I really should go and grab that brooder at the feed store today, and set it up in the one room I have where we’d have space for it.

My issue is that our only “spare“ room is a trailer outside, and the power fails in there fairly often.

BUT, I can put a heat pack in a corner of the brooder overnight if I’m worried.

Ive got more babies hatching by Christmas, and 2 dozen eggs arriving later this week. It’s time to move beyond my rinky dink setup and get serious. Otherwise, I’m just going to be a frustrated wreck.

 

[MomFoldingLaundry]

If it stays consistently warm, you might be able to get away with using those heartless heaters. You use half a bucket and glue felt and soft fabrics on the inside and they go underneath and their bodyheat helps them stay warm enough

If you buy 3 day old chicks from the feed store, they say Not to even bother with a heater here, as they keep eachother warm.

Maybe I will try that Someday.

 

[CovidtimeQuail]

If you buy 3 day old chicks from the feed store, they say Not to even bother with a heater here, as they keep eachother warm.

Maybe I will try that Someday.

It might depend on the chicks. My first batch contained a bird that was always cold, even when the thermometer under the lamp read 105 degrees.

The rest of the birds seem fine with Hawaii's temperature. I was surprised when the sets of chicks I bought from two sellers were never cold, even at 3 days old.