Will this heating plate be ok till 6 weeks old?

[adams86]

Hi I am expecting my 15 chicks this week and I have my brooder setup and I purchased a Premier heating plate that is 30cm X 30cm and says it is good for 20-25 chicks. I know it will be fine for the first few weeks probably, but what happens when they start to get bigger, even with raising the plate, will there still be enough room for 15 chicks at 4-6 weeks? I plan to put them in the coop at 6 weeks. I have only used heat lamps before, and never this many chicks at once. Should I buy a second plate for when they get bigger? I would rather use the plates since I have the brooder setup in my garage this time instead of the house. Any advice or experience is welcome..

 

[SueT]

At 4-6 weeks they do not need heat any more. They can be out in the coop by then.

 

[feathermaid]

Yep, that's the awesome thing about the heating plates. Chicks live in the ambient room temperature and only go under the heat occasionally. This is very similar to how a mother hen raises them outside in cooler temps with chicks only getting quick warmups while out exploring and then sleep quietly in the dark all night. So chicks acclimate and feather out much quicker. By 3 weeks they'll be spending most of their time on top anyway. If you brood in the coop, you can have them integrated and roosting with your older birds by 4 weeks old with the right set up.

 

[Acre4Me]

Not to worry! They may or may not still need heat at that point- depends on feathering, ambient temps, etc. But, they stay under the heat less and less, so there is always room for a chicks under the heat plate (unless you had a very large number of chicks, of course).