Winter Brooding Advice

[AmeliaBedelia]

Loud all the time no stopping unless the heat lamp is on. I may take the plate out and just deal with the heat lamp. I want to make sure they are comfortable. And I have 2 more hatching as we speak.

Huh, weird.

Wait, are they dry yet? Most people seem to leave them in the incubator until they are fluffy/everyone has hatched. Maybe they need the extra heat while they are still getting cooled off by evaporation.

 

[Heather67]

Huh, weird.

Wait, are they dry yet? Most people seem to leave them in the incubator until they are fluffy/everyone has hatched. Maybe they need the extra heat while they are still getting cooled off by evaporation.

Good question! Yes they are dry. I made sure of that first. It’s super cold here for Texas. 25 so maybe they just need a bit more heat. My fear is the heat plate just isn’t doing it.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Yeah I would listen to them and do what they seem to like. Reevaluate in a few days. Just make sure your light is VERY securely attached and away from the flammable stuff.

 

[Demarvell]

So much to learn, so little time!

 

[TeddysMom58]

Thank you! I have the producer's pride brooder/ coop heater. I don't see where the brooder could work for below 50 degrees. I've search online, but did not see one that would?? I'll look into the heating pad. Does that work in all temps? I'm not wanting to keep them indoors if possible, and the shop is enclosed and draft free. But I will if I have too.

I am currently using a Sweeter Heater., it can take cold temps. Chick brooder is a sectioned off corner of an 8x8 stall in the barn. When they were about 8 days old we had night temps in the single digits, daytime around 10F for several days. The Sweeter Heater has been great, currently all 20 are 3 weeks old and doing fine.

 

[Egg Finder]

I am currently using a Sweeter Heater., it can take cold temps. Chick brooder is a sectioned off corner of an 8x8 stall in the barn. When they were about 8 days old we had night temps in the single digits, daytime around 10F for several days. The Sweeter Heater has been great, currently all 20 are 3 weeks old and doing fine.

I'd never heard of these. It sounds like what I'd need. I just wonder if what I have can be used the same way since it has a coop heater option. They are out of the shop now and inside my small coop so they can get some sun, closed in with just the produce's pride plate set on the brood option. Right now temps are mild and staying above freezing, but the end of the week will change from 71 to 22 within 12 hours.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I had a similar situation with my December hatch. My brooder plate worked fine until the temp in the coop dropped to low 40s.

If I brood outside again and it gets cool, I’m going to add a heat lamp and point it at the brooder, so the actual brooder remains in 50+ degree temps. I’ll place my thermometer near the brooder to check. I don’t love the idea of a heat lamp in my coop, so I’ll only leave it on when it gets really cold. Fortunately my coop is large and I can easily make sure it's a safe distance from the brooder and anything flammable.

I also kept my brooder play in an open top box with an opening for the chicks to go in and out, so it was mostly protected from drafts blowing underneath.

 

[Carymcmillin]

I live in Michigan and raise meat chickens during some very cold temps. Also a lot of fluctuation in temps. I use a plate but I also keep the ceramic type heat units in the box. I have heard a lot of bad stories about the headlamp bulbs. I keep a soft light bulb that I turn off at night to help transition the chickens to night and day. They will stay under the plate for the first few days but will migrate around as they adjust.

 

[The Birb King]

I used to use heat lamps but now I use the heat plates and I like those better. It is not a fire hazard, the chicks can hide under it, etc. I normally use a large brooder box on wheels for my chicks it is about 5 feet by 2 feet and can hold a good amount of chicks. Im putting eggs in the incubator tomorrow so chick season is starting soon for me!

 

[TeddysMom58]

I'd never heard of these. It sounds like what I'd need. I just wonder if what I have can be used the same way since it has a coop heater option. They are out of the shop now and inside my small coop so they can get some sun, closed in with just the produce's pride plate set on the brood option. Right now temps are mild and staying above freezing, but the end of the week will change from 71 to 22 within 12 hours.

Not sure what you mean by coop heater option. The Sweeter Heater is an infrared radiant heat and only heats the animal under/near it and not the entire coop. I am
very happy with it. My chicks are 3 weeks old and I have just been raising the heater up as they grow. The chicks have been jumping onto the heater and I do not have to worry about them. Sweeter Heater an American Company, check out their website. SweeterHeater.com