Low success rate raising chicks

[chickenchick2714]

Good advice on the heating plate. I've seen pics on Amazon reviews where people had them an inch above the chicks heads, and they were all huddled underneath. I have the feeling a lot of people set the plates up wrong when they first start using them and keep the chicks way too cold.

The pictures are definitely misleading before getting the chicks I saw so many reviews about misusing the plates and deaths due to improper setup!

 

[Bhubbard]

What is the benefit to a plate instead of lamp? I have always used hanging light on rope and just adjusted height to make it cooler as they grow. Just curious with lamp being so easy.

 

[Rurumo]

What is the benefit to a plate instead of lamp? I have always used hanging light on rope and just adjusted height to make it cooler as they grow. Just curious with lamp being so easy.

My Brinsea plate uses just 12 watts of power and there is no safety hazard even if you keep it in a cardboard box. Also, for folks who brood inside for whatever reason, besides the added safety of a brooder plate, it's also nice not to have that light beaming down on them 24/7. I also think plates have an edge for brand new owners because I've lost count of the # of times I've seen people brood in a too small container or box with with a 250 watt bulb keeping the entire thing too hot, and they just can't escape the heat. Chicks can adjust their temp with a brooder plate even in a small brooder. There are pros and cons to both and both can work equally well, but the plate definitely has some compelling advantages.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I have raised two batch of chicks last year and am raising two more this year I have never lost one and use a heat lamp but what do you think is better heating pad or heat lamp?

 

[chickenchick2714]

What is the benefit to a plate instead of lamp? I have always used hanging light on rope and just adjusted height to make it cooler as they grow. Just curious with lamp being so easy.

I chose the plate just because I was uneasy about the fire risk with the lamp, and I liked the “broodyness” like a mother hen of the plate!

 

[Bhubbard]

My Brinsea plate uses just 12 watts of power and there is no safety hazard even if you keep it in a cardboard box. Also, for folks who brood inside for whatever reason, besides the added safety of a brooder plate, it's also nice not to have that light beaming down on them 24/7. I also think plates have an edge for brand new owners because I've lost count of the # of times I've seen people brood in a too small container or box with with a 250 watt bulb keeping the entire thing too hot, and they just can't escape the heat. Chicks can adjust their temp with a brooder plate even in a small brooder. There are pros and cons to both and both can work equally well, but the plate definitely has some compelling advantages.

Ah gotcha. Makes sense.

 

[Bhubbard]

I always read about concern of fire with lamp… has anyone on here ever actually had one? I have raised a good amount of chicks just seems so unlikely to me…. But I guess it always is until it happens!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I always read about concern of fire with lamp… has anyone on here ever actually had one? I have raised a good amount of chicks just seems so unlikely to me…. But I guess it always is until it happens!

If you search through the forums long enough you'll find reports of fires every year. Lemme see if I happen to have any bookmarked... well that didn't take long: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-fire-advice-needed.1555495/ Granted this isn't in a brooder but the point remains that they can cause fires or in this case, a lot of smoke.

Just to clarify I use a heating pad, not a plate, and yes I still have a heat lamp in the garage as a backup (which I had to use once because I got chicks a day earlier than expected and needed to keep them warm while I got the heating pad set up!)

 

[imacowgirl2]

What is the benefit to a plate instead of lamp? I have always used hanging light on rope and just adjusted height to make it cooler as they grow. Just curious with lamp being so easy.

The biggest advantage for me is that it leaves the natural day/night cycle in balance. The plate, or in my case, a DIY version of a plate, also provides a “safe place” for my chicks during integration. Both of these are important to me because my brooder is in the coop by the time the chicks are a week old, and the brooder, except for the heat plate, is removed by the time the chicks are fully integrated at 2-3 weeks old. Not having a light prevents messing up my adult hens light cycles when the brooder moves to the coop, and the plate provides a physical place for chicks to easily dive under to get away from a bigger bird.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

So a bit off the topic now, when I have bad pasty butts, I soak them and then cut the mass open (very carefully) with some dog nail clippers before working on it. Seems to be a bit easier to clean off once it's opened and it gives them a chance to hurry up and poop as I'm working