my babies are burnt!

[crazycluck86]

Has anyone else used the electric heat brooder(electric hen)? Two of my chicks have burns on their wings (shoulders) and they are average sized chicks, there are some smaller and some larger although they are all a week old. I have adjusted the broider so that one end is closer to the floor for the smaller chicks. I hope they won't be permanently scarred :'(

 

[khoe]

Wow! I was just reading about how a few people felt it was too hot. One was getting up to 108 and she was told this is normal and ok, what is yours getting up to?

 

[crazycluck86]

I have no idea, but its hot enough that I cant pick it up with out holding the plastic around the edges! I put some cream on my chicks and highered it, but im not sure if they will be 'cold' now.

 

[Ketaped]

If your chicks are getting burned, it's too hot. I would suggest investing in a thermometer - I have a temp gun that I love, but they're about $40, and a typical sensor thermometer for outside will work almost as well, so long as you don't have chicks lying on it.

If you don't have a thermometer, the best way to tell if your chicks are too warm or too cold is to watch them. If they're too warm, they'll try to get away from the heat lamp (there should ALWAYS be a gradient of temperature in their brooder - warm on one end, cool on the other), pant and look uncomfortable. If they're too cold they'll all be clustered right under the lamp pretty much dog piled on top of each other.

The ideal temperature will have the chicks wandering about the brooder each doing their own thing and dozing wherever they're comfortable. They may form chick rafts when they sleep, but they shouldn't be a constant huddled mass.

90-95 for the first week is about where you want to start, and then decrease by 5-10 degrees for every week.

Hope this helps!

 

[crazycluck86]

Thanks for the advice ketaped, but this isnt a lamp its an electric hen (heat plate) that is designed to act as a mother. So the chicks sit under it and when they get to warm, they are supposed to come out. But there is no temperature setting on it to turn it down, it just stays on. The manual says no need to use a thermometer as the behaviour of the chicks will let u no if they are satisfied or not-however im sure their behaviour doesnt include being burnt alive! I do have a brooder lamp though, and may swap to this instead.

 

[Ketaped]

Huh, interesting idea, but it seems like your chicks didn't read the manual!

I did a little reading on the electric hens and they're clever, but don't seem to be as good at creating a heat gradient as a bulb does, so it's harder for the chicks to find the heating sweet spot. If there's no thermostat on the heater, can you raise it up a little higher, so it's still radiating warmth down on them, but not quite so close? It seems like the chicks may be cold outside the heating zone, so go in to warm up, but aren't smart enough to realize that the 'hen' is what's hurting them when they're in the warm place and stay too long.

Of course, this is my first year with chicks, and it took me a few days to work out the details with my heating setup, so I'm hardly an expert! Good luck, whatever you end up doing.

 

[crazycluck86]

Yes, it seemed like a brilliant idea....but I guess the trick is finding the right height. I decided to keep one end higher so it is on an angle for the smaller chicks, although they all hatched the same day I have one huge chick. Since I adjusted it the little red burns on their wings have almost disappeared but they seem to be under it rather a lot?! This is my first time hatching my own, I usually use my broody hen-it just puts into perspective how brilliant mother hens really are lol

 

[Ketaped]

When my chicks were a week or two old, they spent 90% of their time around or under the heat lamp, leaving the area for short periods, but always going back. As they've grown up, they're spending more and more time away from the warm spot. This seems, from what I've heard, to be pretty normal? When chicks are tiny fluffballs, they spend more time around and under mom, and get more willing and able to self regulate their temperature as they get older. If any of my hens go broody next year, I may try to see if they'd raise chicks, otherwise, in the 50 gallon bin with a heat lamp again.

Glad to hear that you've found a solution for your chicks, and yes, momma chickens are pretty amazing.