Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[KRack]

Measured like this:

Attachments​

Was this a question? I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell. Yes, that’s how I’m measuring it.

 

[aart]

Was this a question? I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell. Yes, that’s how I’m measuring it.

Sorry, forgot to punctuate properly.
Might get too hot in there, most folks using a pad/plate don't measure air temp like that.
Good thing you can turn it down.
How many chicks will you keep in there?

 

[RoyalChick]

I have a thermometer that measures temperature and humidity. I put it under the mat where the chicks will be.

Not an expert here and I use a heat plate not a MHP (same principle though) but my understanding is that the air temperature is irrelevant even under the plate/pad.
The key is that they can touch their backs to a warm body to warm up when they want.
My plate is just warm to touch when on - definitely not hot - and I have never measured the air temperature under it. If I put my hand on the ground under it without touching the plate I can’t tell there is any heat.
With that set up mostly my chicks have gone under at night and for naps during the day but spend most of their time away from the heat.
I start mine in my bathroom which I keep warm and I had to lower the temperature in the room. It was in the 70s and the babies were all sleeping with most of their body outside the heat plate. I lowered the room to 64 and that seemed to work better for them.
At two weeks I move them to the garage for a night or two and then out into the coop.

 

[KRack]

Sorry, forgot to punctuate properly.
Might get too hot in there, most folks using a pad/plate don't measure air temp like that.
Good thing you can turn it down.
How many chicks will you keep in there?

I’m planning on putting 12 eggs in the incubator, but 6 of them are shipping from quite a distance away and I’ve heard the breed doesn’t hatch super easily. I’m really after the one breed specifically, and only want 6 myself, the others are going to a friend.

 

[KRack]

Not an expert here and I use a heat plate not a MHP (same principle though) but my understanding is that the air temperature is irrelevant even under the plate/pad.
The key is that they can touch their backs to a warm body to warm up when they want.
My plate is just warm to touch when on - definitely not hot - and I have never measured the air temperature under it. If I put my hand on the ground under it without touching the plate I can’t tell there is any heat.
With that set up mostly my chicks have gone under at night and for naps during the day but spend most of their time away from the heat.
I start mine in my bathroom which I keep warm and I had to lower the temperature in the room. It was in the 70s and the babies were all sleeping with most of their body outside the heat plate. I lowered the room to 64 and that seemed to work better for them.
At two weeks I move them to the garage for a night or two and then out into the coop.

Ok, I’ll keep this in mind! I’m really learning that the chicks have to be your guide, even reading what you just said. So as long as everything is set up the right way, I’ll keep an eye on them and adjust as they show me they need me to.

 

[aart]

I’m planning on putting 12 eggs in the incubator, but 6 of them are shipping from quite a distance away and I’ve heard the breed doesn’t hatch super easily. I’m really after the one breed specifically, and only want 6 myself, the others are going to a friend.

6 might be OK, 12 would be crowded.
They need to have easy access in and out from under there.
That's why a flat plate/pad, with all 4 sides open to egress, can work better than a 'cave'.

 

[KRack]

6 might be OK, 12 would be crowded.
They need to have easy access in and out from under there.
That's why a flat plate/pad, with all 4 sides open to egress, can work better than a 'cave'.

I have a bigger space for when they grow or if a lot hatch. I just didn’t want to haul it out when I didn’t know how many would hatch. I’ll keep this in mind though.

 

[aart]

I have a bigger space for when they grow or if a lot hatch. I just didn’t want to haul it out when I didn’t know how many would hatch. I’ll keep this in mind though.

I was talking about the heater specifically, not the tray it's in.
Tho actually, not sure just the size of either....guessed it's about 12" wide?

 

[KRack]

I was talking about the heater specifically, not the tray it's in.
Tho actually, not sure just the size of either....guessed it's about 12" wide?

Oh it’s 16 inches wide.

 

[bruceha2000]

Not ambient but the floor/ground under the heat lamp......the rest of the brooder and the room it's in can/should be much cooler.

True but unless there is a lot of ventilation, the 95°F at brooder bottom level (the bottom of the bathtub, heat lamp controlled with a remote reading thermostat in the case of my initial 12) floods the room pretty darn well even with the shower curtain pulled to try to contain the heat.

It was an 8'x10' bathroom and WAY HOT for us people. We had to keep the door closed or they would have been 12 cat snacks.

but my understanding is that the air temperature is irrelevant even under the plate/pad.

Yep

My plate is just warm to touch when on - definitely not hot

Also yep The underside of a hen isn't hot either.

and only want 6 myself, the others are going to a friend.

I've not hatched chicks but from what I understand shipped eggs are notorious for poor hatch rates. You and your friend might have to come to a different agreement.