Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

[aart]

I've got the Homemade heating Pad Pseudo Plate.
Added a couple older chicks, approx. 2 and 3 weeks old, to the week olds so had to prop up one side of the heater so the biggest one will fit.

Still working well tho. They go under and on top during the day but all under at night. They had trouble with finding it last night as it got dark and I had to herd them under but I turned the over head lights off too late.

 

[Caitlin_VT]

Mine are starting to move from sleeping around the edges to sleeping on top. They're three weeks old, in the house, temps are usually in the upper 50s to low 60s in their room. I keep a light on over them for light only. At bedtime I turn the light on in the adjacent room and turn their light off. I give them five to ten minutes. It only takes them about three minutes to settle in for the night. They've learned it's about to get very dark and find their spots quickly.

Same with mine, although they are sleeping all over the place! And they are only a week + few days old. It doesn't help that our house is about 70.... They will be moving to the garage this weekend so I'm sure they will be back to sleeping under it.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Well my chicks got here today and needless to say they are under a heat lamp. As soon as the heat plate gets here I am switching

 

[DuluthHomestead]

One good thing is that the heat plate chicks can tolerate dark right from the start. My 3 week old chicks just about died when I turned their light off to move things around. Because I'm a softie, those guys will have a "night light" FOREVER because of that panic when the lights go out.

 

[cjwaldon]

I moved my chicks to the outdoor coop Saturday. Overnight outdoor temps dipped to the upper 20s Saturday night and lower 30s Sunday night. I don't know what the coop temps are. There are other birds in the coop and pop doors are open all day. So far I've had only one loss which was a runt I was going to cull anyway.

 

[aart]

I moved my chicks to the outdoor coop Saturday. Overnight outdoor temps dipped to the upper 20s Saturday night and lower 30s Sunday night. I don't know what the coop temps are. There are other birds in the coop and pop doors are open all day. So far I've had only one loss which was a runt I was going to cull anyway.

How old are they?

 

[cjwaldon]

3 weeks old

 

[SIMZ]

My bantam chicks are doing well under the heat plate, but I do have two regular chicks that are now 2 weeks old. It's hard to imagine that 20 chicks that size would fit under there.

So, my question is at what age do they no longer need that heat plate? I'm going to move them into a new brooder at around 3 & 4 weeks & leave the plate behind for the newly hatched chicks. Will the older chicks need additional heat at that point as long as the temperature 50 or higher? Don't some broodies quit raising chicks around that age anyway?

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[Caitlin_VT]

My bantam chicks are doing well under the heat plate, but I do have two regular chicks that are now 2 weeks old. It's hard to imagine that 20 chicks that size would fit under there.

So, my question is at what age do they no longer need that heat plate? I'm going to move them into a new brooder at around 3 & 4 weeks & leave the plate behind for the newly hatched chicks. Will the older chicks need additional heat at that point as long as the temperature 50 or higher? Don't some broodies quit raising chicks around that age anyway?

Thanks for any ideas!

They will stop sleeping under it. My chicks are 2 1/2 weeks old and were just moved into the garage brooder. They are already starting to sleep on top. It really depends on your temperature and how feathered out your chicks are. I will keep one in until I move the chicks outside at about 6 weeks, when they will be pretty much feathered in.

 

[SIMZ]

They will stop sleeping under it. My chicks are 2 1/2 weeks old and were just moved into the garage brooder. They are already starting to sleep on top. It really depends on your temperature and how feathered out your chicks are. I will keep one in until I move the chicks outside at about 6 weeks, when they will be pretty much feathered in.

Thanks! Mine have just started sitting on it during the day and staying out much longer. I'll probably move them to a lower wattage heat lamp (unless spring magically appears sometime soon). If they don't use it, great!

So, would you say that 20 chicks really only need that plate A LOT is during the first few weeks. Interesting.... I just imagine 20 large chicks squishing under there.