Pseudo Brooder Heater 'Plate'

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

I was inspired by aart to make a brooder plate like this, but I made some modifications that got rid of the need for a towel (or pillow case, or press-n-seal, or other such things that other people use for their MHPs). Instead of a rack, I use a wooden board. Plywood, OSB, real wood, whatever you have lying around. Then just bungee the heating pad to the underside of the board, and you're all set! They can walk and sit on top of the board and you don't worry about them pooping on it. Nothing for you to wash but the fabric case that the heating pad comes in, at the end when you're done with the setup, but that won't have poop on it - just chick dander - so you can put it in the washing machine without your husband freaking out I washed mine together with the kids' clothes. The kids' clothes were much dirtier and had all kinds of bodily fluids on them, so...

So your design has the wood heating up? Would that get warm enough for baby chicks? We’ve started on a design with a cage and scrap wood to make the arch. Just need to get the heating pad and maybe configure something in addition

 

[aart]

my husband said it’s not sanitary to launder chick pooped towels - am I missing something? I suggested using towels and washing them but he said HECK NO how do you launder yours? Bleach?

Oh, I've come a long way since then!
See this article for the iterations;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

So your design has the wood heating up? Would that get warm enough for baby chicks?

They go under the wood to touch the heating pad.

 

[K0k0shka]

So your design has the wood heating up? Would that get warm enough for baby chicks? We’ve started on a design with a cage and scrap wood to make the arch. Just need to get the heating pad and maybe configure something in addition

The wood doesn’t heat up at all. The pad is on the underside of the wood and the chicks touch the pad directly. I’m on my second batch of chicks with this design and it works great!

 

[HeathenHavenHomestead]

The wood doesn’t heat up at all. The pad is on the underside of the wood and the chicks touch the pad directly. I’m on my second batch of chicks with this design and it works great!

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You don’t worry about it burning them?
would they move before that happened even if they were sick?
I don’t have any sick in my flock but after working 5 years as a vet tech and seeing many patients with burns from heating pads I worry about direct contact

 

[K0k0shka]

You don’t worry about it burning them?
would they move before that happened even if they were sick?
I don’t have any sick in my flock but after working 5 years as a vet tech and seeing many patients with burns from heating pads I worry about direct contact

Mine doesn’t get that hot. Not at all like the one aart mentioned getting up to 110 degrees. I can keep my hand on it and it feels pleasantly warm, not hot. The chicks sleep under it all night without coming out and are fine. They’ve never acted like it burns or feels uncomfortable - no loud chirps or trying to get away. They are very content.

This is the pad I use. Maybe other kinds or brands get hot and burn, but this particular one doesn’t.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07V1GZGR4?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

 

[aart]

Not at all like the one aart mentioned getting up to 110 degrees. I can keep my hand on it and it feels pleasantly warm, not hot.

Have you ever used an infrared therm to check surface temp?

after working 5 years as a vet tech and seeing many patients with burns from heating pads I worry about direct contact

What type of pads?....there are tons of pet pads out there.
Remember a hen's body temp is 106°F.

 

[K0k0shka]

Have you ever used an infrared therm to check surface temp?

I hadn’t, but I got curious and went and measured it now. Wow, it says 123 degrees! It’s so hard to believe... It feels very nice on my hand, not burning hot at all. Maybe because fuzzy fabric doesn’t transfer heat the same way as, say, 123-degree water on your hand would (THAT would certainly burn). This is my second year using this setup with this pad, plus I made the same one with the same pad for two friends of mine, and none of us have had problems with it getting too hot for the chicks. Everybody’s chicks have been happy with it, spending all night under it without issue.

 

[FamChicks]

Thanks for sharing your idea! Do you have the link to the heating pad you used?

 

[aart]

Thanks for sharing your idea! Do you have the link to the heating pad you used?

I think it's in this article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/