Setting up my chick brooder in advance- Any glaring problems?

[Armaget]

Hey everybody! My chicks are coming next week! How great is that? To prepare for their arrival I set up the brooder early but do have a few concerns that maybe someone with a more experienced eye could catch-

First, the temperature- With the cardboard lid closed it's up to maybe 90 degrees, but with it open like this it's only about 80. However, as can be seen from the picture my thermometer is not flush up against the heater, and the lady I talked to at mypetchicken.com said the chicks would huddle against the plate for warmth. So, should I maybe close the cardboard lid? Another option is that there is a heat bulb option in this bathroom, so there could be an overhead light that gives them heat, though I am concerned with that it may be hard to escape the heat for them.

Also, is this, like, a fire hazard? What it is is thick cardboard, a layer of thin plastic to protect that, pine shavings, then that flat heating plate.

Last little thing, is this enough room for five non-bantam chicks? I have some other boxes that I could probably attach onto this one to make it bigger.

p.s- Don't worry, I'll be filling up the food and water : )

 

[SoCha]

Hi! It seems very nice for them, the box would be big enough, but as they grow you would need to change it for a bigger box. I think the heat should be fine, if not you can always tell by the behavior of the chicks, if they are chirping loudly and huddling close to the heater and each other they are most likely cold. If they are spaced out and far from the heater they are hot, and if they are moving around nicely around the middle, they are confortable! I hope this helped!

 

[Armaget]

Hi! It seems very nice for them, the box would be big enough, but as they grow you would need to change it for a bigger box. I think the heat should be fine, if not you can always tell by the behavior of the chicks, if they are chirping loudly and huddling close to the heater and each other they are most likely cold. If they are spaced out and far from the heater they are hot, and if they are moving around nicely around the middle, they are confortable! I hope this helped!

ay thank you, yes! I'm glad the box is big enough (for when they're small at least) and that the heat could probably be fine : )

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes you'll need to move to a bigger box at some point, but for now it's enough for 5 very young chicks.

Do NOT close the cardboard up. Your heat source works by contact, not by warming the air, so the thermometer is not really needed. You do need a mesh lid of some sort to keep the chicks in.

 

[Armaget]

Yes you'll need to move to a bigger box at some point, but for now it's enough for 5 very young chicks.

Do NOT close the cardboard up. Your heat source works by contact, not by warming the air, so the thermometer is not really needed. You do need a mesh lid of some sort to keep the chicks in.

Thank you, I've just learned my heat source is not one that really puts out heat, thank you for explaining it better too : ). And yes I do have a lid.