How early do you set up your brooder?

[AinaWGSD]

We got the email from our hatchery that our chicks have shipped
I'm crossing my fingers they'll be here tomorrow, it's 410 miles from us to the hatchery (the drive takes 6 hours, obviously they'll be in transit longer than that but still hoping to get a call tomorrow late morning or early afternoon).

So we're getting ready to set up the brooder in the basement. Would you recommend plugging in the heat lamp tonight, or wait until tomorrow morning? I figure the food and water can wait till morning.

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

Same here, our chicks were mailed today.
I will have the brooder ready tonight all set for a possible delivery tomorrow. The only thing I won't set up is the water, I leave it room temp and mix in the electrolytes once they arrive.

You want the brooder to be ready, so early is how I plan each time, let's me know if my temps are correct so I can make changes if necessary.

What are you getting?

 

[BastyPutt]

A brooder should be a smaller space, and would reach its temps and hold them pretty quickly.

We use the same brooder set up every time, so I usually only set it up 30 mins before I'm putting them in because I know it's good. If you are unsure, I'd say an hour would be good.

on top of that, temp changes are always best done with the chicks in the brooder. Many groups with prefer different conditions which you can obviously tell by the way the chicks are responding to their home.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Same here, our chicks were mailed today.
I will have the brooder ready tonight all set for a possible delivery tomorrow. The only thing I won't set up is the water, I leave it room temp and mix in the electrolytes once they arrive.

You want the brooder to be ready, so early is how I plan each time, let's me know if my temps are correct so I can make changes if necessary.

What are you getting?

Its been a few years since we brooded chicks, and in the past we've done it in the garage. This time we're using a sterilite tote in the basement so I'm not sure how long it'll take to get up to temp.

We're getting a blue laced red wyandotte, a rhode island red, a cream legbar, Meyer's cookies and cream, an olive egger and a saphire jewel (pretty much a white easter egger)!

 

[AinaWGSD]

A brooder should be a smaller space, and would reach its temps and hold them pretty quickly.

We use the same brooder set up every time, so I usually only set it up 30 mins before I'm putting them in because I know it's good. If you are unsure, I'd say an hour would be good.

on top of that, temp changes are always best done with the chicks in the brooder. Many groups with prefer different conditions which you can obviously tell by the way the chicks are responding to their home.

Thanks, this brooder is smaller than the one we've used the last 3 or 4 groups so I think waiting until tomorrow morning should be fine. The post office is maaaaaybe 5 minutes from my house, so im not going to have much time between getting the call and getting the chicks home.

 

[BastyPutt]

Its been a few years since we brooded chicks, and in the past we've done it in the garage. This time we're using a sterilite tote in the basement so I'm not sure how long it'll take to get up to temp.

We're getting a blue laced red wyandotte, a rhode island red, a cream legbar, Meyer's cookies and cream, an olive egger and a saphire jewel (pretty much a white easter egger)!

I'd say it will probably take your heat lamp 5 to 10 mins to warm up, and your tote probably 10 more mins.

I use the metal watering trough. It is a one time, $50 investment, but it will eliminate any and all worries of temps. A chick will regulate their own temp (move toward or away from the lamp). The idea is to give them a big enough area where they can do this - or move far enough away from the lamp if needed.

I will usually suspend the light about 18 inches from the bedding and have them outside in an aviary. Temps get well below freezing, while into the 60s during the day. Despite the swing in ambient temps, I never have to adjust the light. It is effortless brooding.

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

I have 7 day old chicks with one using a brooder plate and the other a heat lamp. Brooder plates take an hour to heat up but those lamps take a few minutes. I have always used lamps and finally purchased th brooder plate. I have to say going forward it will be the brooder heat plate. we sucked it up and bought it and it has been wonderful. I know there are controversy about them but I see a difference in the chicks. They seem much more independent using the heat plate. Just my opinion.

 

[BastyPutt]

I have 7 day old chicks with one using a brooder plate and the other a heat lamp. Brooder plates take an hour to heat up but those lamps take a few minutes. I have always used lamps and finally purchased th brooder plate. I have to say going forward it will be the brooder heat plate. we sucked it up and bought it and it has been wonderful. I know there are controversy about them but I see a difference in the chicks. They seem much more independent using the heat plate. Just my opinion.

Some people love the heat plate. I have just seen so many terrible things happen over the years here on these forums that I could never recommend it.

With that said, peoples houses have burnt down from heat lamps (mixed with incompetence). Pick your poison I suppose.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some people love the heat plate. I have just seen so many terrible things happen over the years here on these forums that I could never recommend it.

With that said, peoples houses have burnt down from heat lamps (mixed with incompetence). Pick your poison I suppose.

And vice versa, the stories of coop fires and burnt birds every year has convinced me to not use a heat lamp. I still have one on hand "just in case" and because there's no real reason to toss it, but I can't see myself using it again.

OP: I absolutely would have the brooder fully set up immediately. Even if you've run this exact set up before you never want to find out at the last minute that the bulb burnt out. Running the heat an extra 24 hours shouldn't be an issue when you're going to be running it continuously for the next few weeks.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Plugged the light in this morning and spent most of the morning adjusting the height to get the temp directly under the lamp to 90-95° The chicks did not arrive today, but they are at my local distribution center. Fingers crossed for early tomorrow morning. We'll leave the light on overnight.